Mitchie's Rerevealed
by spwarkle
Summary: Sequel to Mitchie's Unrevealed. It's been fifteen years. Katie doesn't know who her father is, she hasn't even met Shane. When she is forced to spend two weeks in England, will Katie discover the big secret that tore her family apart?
1. Katie Chloe Torres

**I know I'm still writing T.I but I had to post this, I got really into it.**

**If you're reading this, make sure you've read Mitchie's Unrevealed before or it won't make sense to you.**

**Katie's POV**

I rolled over, groaning. Somebody was pounding on my bedroom door.

"Katie, get up now or I'm coming in there!" said a familiar voice. I groaned and didn't bother to respond. "Katie!" My Mum shouted.

"Go away," I mumbled into my pillow. I heard the door bang open and my Mum stormed in, glaring at me.

"Katie Chloe Torres get up this second!" she growled.

"Oh Mum! The full name, how could you?" I asked sarcastically, sitting up anyway. "Remind me again why you're waking me up at," I glanced at my alarm clock. "Eight in the morning on the first day of summer?"

My Mum sighed and shook her head. She knew that I knew perfectly well why.

"Katie, you are coming to England with me whether you like it or not," I shrugged.

"You can't force me Mum."

"Katie, you're fifteen, I'm still in charge of you. We are visiting Uncle Jason and Aunt Chloe this week and you haven't seen them since you were four so you _are _coming."

"Fine, whatever," I sighed, giving up. My suitcases were already packed anyway, I knew I never had a prayer of winning this arguement.

Just a quick explanation here- Uncle Jason is _not _my real Uncle. Chloe isn't my real aunt either.

When my Mum managed to get pregnant with me at the age of seventeen, she ran away to England and became friends with a girl called Chloe. My Mum, Mitchie, moved in with Chloe and a few months later Chloe met Jason Grey. Yes, the Jason Gray from Connect 3. Not that even that means anything any more. Connect 3 are just some old band that kids listem to occasionally in the car.

My Mum knows Jason Grey and Nate Grey and I know them too. I see Nate and his wife Caitlyn a lot because they live close by and have a little eight year old daughter called Millie. I know Jason and Chloe have a two year old son called Luke but I've never met him. It's been elevn years since I saw them.

So what about Shane Grey, you ask? The lead singer of the band of brothers? The one famous for being a jerk? Well that's what about him. My Mum hasn't seen him since before I was born, when he had a huge falling out with the family. Ever since then he's been off in his jerk world pursuing a solo career. He checks in with Nate and Caitlyn about once every two years but I've never met him.

For all I know, Shane Grey could be my Dad. I find that slightly hilarious and slightly repulsive. I don't know who my Dad is and nobody will tell me. Mum always tells me he left when he found out she was pregnant with me. I feel bad then and stop asking because I don't want her to get all emotional.

Anyway, here I was trying to convince my Mum not to make me go to England, even though I knew I was going to end up going anyway. I had never won a serious argument with Mum. When she really got angry her temper took over so I gave up to save myself.

It's not too bad. I'm spending two weeks living in a little apartment with my Mum and two people I have barely met before. Sure, I talk to them over the internet sometimes, even via web cam, but I haven't actually met them for eleven years. I can't wait to meet my 'cousin' Luke. He sounds too cute to be true with blonde hair and blue eyes.

There's another thing- my hair is dark black and curly and my eyes are dark brown. My Mum has deadly straight brown hair and her eyes are a lighter shade of brown than mine. I guess I get all of my appearance from my Dad, whoever he is.

By eleven, we were on the plane. We had made it through the airport without any disasters and we were now sitting on comfortable first class seats. I knew for a fact that my Mum preferred normal chairs but Jason was paying and for this I was eternally grateful. It gave me space to relax and lie back. This was my first time on a plane and I was slightly nervous.

The plane took off and as we flew through the clouds my ears popped.

"Ow!" I complained liudly, earning a dirty look from the woman next to me who was attempting to sleep.

"Did your ears go?" Mum asked me. I nodded and she handed me a sweet. "Suck it it'll help," I did as she said and soon my ears were back to normal. I swallowed the sweet then and plugged my headphones in to watch whatever movie was on. I wasn't paying any attention, I was half asleep.

I dreamt of my 'family'. I remembered Chloe from all of the pictures, a kind English woman with a sense of humour. The blonde hair she had worn so short when she knew my Mum now hung down to her waist, long and straight. She had a huge heart and every time I spoke to her she treated me like her own daugter, a grown up. Jason, her husband, was rich and world famous but he was also quite brainless. Not brainless, that sounds mean, but he sometimes got distracted by birds and other things. Nothing distracted him from Chloe, they were the perfect couple.

I remembered the last time I had seen Luke. It was a photo from his second birthday, sitting on a rug surrounded by wrapping paper, laughing and clapping his hands. On his head was a little paper hat. Chloe and Jason had the perfect little family and I envied them. They were all together and had no secrets. I began to imagine my own father, a faceless stranger with black curly hair. He would stride up one day and my Mum would scream and hug him and we would be a happy family.

"Katie! Wake up!" Somebody shook my shoulder and I woke up, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the dull light. "We're landing soon and I thought you might like to watch," my Mum said. I glanced at her and saw the way her eyes were wide with excitement. There was something else there too though. She was going to visit one of her best friends and she almost looked _scared._

"Thanks Mum," I said, pretending I hadn't noticed the huge bags under her eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing shortly. Please fasten you seatbelts," said a womans voice. I had never unfastened mine so I just say in my window seat, watching as we drifted through the clouds and I got my first glance of England.

I know England is not nearly as big as the US but looking down on it, I found that hard to believe. All that I could see, stretching endlessley in all directions was a grey mass of buildings. In the distance there was the green haze of fields and trees, but below me was just a city.

It was Southampton, the famous waterfront city. Jason and Chloe still lived in the same apartment my Mum had lived in all those years ago. My Mum never shut up about the glass wall and although I pretended otherwise, I was curious to see it. If it was half of what I expected then it was going to be one of the most stupendous sights of my life.

The plane landed smoothly in the airport and soon we were standing outside the huge building in the fog. It was about six in the morning and I was insanely grateful that I had had the sense to bring a jumper in my hand luggage. I pulled it on over my little top, regretting choosing my shorts. This was England, wasn't it always cold here?

Mu Mum, on the other hand, didn't look cold at all. She was wearing a skirt, not a really short teenage skirt but not a long grown up one either. Her top was tight and had no sleeves but she didn't even have goosebumps as she chattered on the phone.

"No, Chloe don't worry! We'll be fine!" She paused, looking around. "Standing outside Starbucks... Okay, see you soon." She hung up the phone and looked at me, grinning wider than I had seen in a long time.

"Jason should be here in about ten minutes," She told me. I nodded to hide the fact my teeth were chattering and then sat down on top of my huge black suitcase.

Exactly ten minutes later, a car pulled up in front of us. It was a sleek black car, don't ask what model because I don't know. My Mum squealed as the door opened and flung herself at Jason.

"Mitchie!" he said loudly, engulfing her in a hug. Several people turned to look and gasped as they saw a rock legend standing feet away from them.

I watched as they spoke quietly, trying to catch the hurried words.

"Doesn't know... Be careful... Let is slip..." was all I could understand from my Mum's whispers. Jason nodded seriously and then turned to face me where I still sat on my suitcase.

"Katie!" he said, opening his arms. I couldn't help but run up and give him a hug. He was so huggable. "Hey Uncle Jason!" I said.

"Katie, you're so big! I haven't seen you since you were this tall!" he held his hand to about waist height and I laughed.

"I haven't been that short for a long time, Uncle Jase." I reminded him. I was up to his shoulder now.

"No, you grew up to fast. It's all fine for Nate to see you but you never visit us! Now come on, get in. If I don't get you home quickly then Chloe is going to kill me. Never upset a pregnant woman, I've made that mistake before." My Mum gasped.

"Jason, you never told me she was pregnant again! Oh my gosh, nobody tells me anything any more!" She folded her arms in a pretend sulk and Jason bent down to whisper in my ear.

"Can you put the suitcases in the boot if I tickle her?" I giggled and nodded, grabbing the handles of the heavy cases as Jason walked up to Mum.

"Cheer up Mitch!" he said. I ducked around the back of the car as I heard the shriek of laughter indicating Jason had done his job.

It took us about half an hour to drive across the city. I sat in the back seat as Mum and Jase sat in the front, talking about Chloe, Luke and the baby. I didn't want to hear about this perfect family, they just made me jealous. Why did the closest people I had to relatives, excluding my grandparents Connie and Steve, have such perfect lives when I didn't? I was the only child of a single mother, a mother who had got pregnant at seventeen.

The car finally stopped in a carpark at the bottom of an apartment building. I looked up the only side I could see but there didn't seem to be any glass, let alone a whole glass wall. Mum and Jason climbed out and Jason went to grab the suitcases and Mum turned to look at me.

"Katie, listen to me. This is important. Chloe is four months pregnant and quite irritable right now. Don't wind her up, behave yourself and set a good example to Luke. I know you're not tired but it is seven in the morning here and Chloe has been up since half four getting ready for us. Jason says you might have to crash on the couch but if you don't want to he has a camp bed he is prepared to build." Jason slammed the boot shut and came back around with the suitcases.

"Ready?" he asked us. My Mum didn't bother to answer, she just sprinted into the building. I rolled my eyes and followed after her more slowly. Jason came last, dragging our suitcases.

"What's in these?" he teased as we climbed into the lift. "Did you pack for a fortnight or a year?" Mum slapped him playfully as the doors slid closed.

"I never really used the lifts before," she said, looking around. "I usually just took the stairs. It was my daily workout." Jason nodded.

"Chloe told me about that. She still uses the stairs most the time," Mum laughed.

"She would. Do you know if the others are coming over any time?" I had no idea who the others were but I guessed they were friends.

"I'm not sure," Jason said, not meeting my Mum's eye.

There was a loud ping and the doors slid open. We stepped through one of only three doors. One was the stairs and the other two were apartments.

The apartment we walked into was exactly like Mum has described it. The walls were pure white and the carpet was soft and fluffy, like walking on clouds. There was a comfortable looking black sofa in the middle of the room in front of a huge TV. The kitchen was black and white and something was bubbling away in a pot that smelled delicious. The dining table was glass and had six high backed, black chairs around it.

The wall to my left was indeed pure glass. Well not quite, there was window frames to hold it up, but the sight was beautiful. The city was bathed in early morning sunglight and everything looked warm and welcoming. The mist was beginning to lift and I could make out the high street down below, already busy with people heading to work.

I barely noticed these things as I looke around, all of my attention was on the woman standing in the middle of the room.

Chloe looked just like she had in the pictures fifteen years ago, if not prettier. Her blonde hair was swept up in a messy yet elegant bun and her discreet makeup highlighted her eyes. She looked to be one of the most loving people I knew as she stood there with her swollen belly and a cute little boy on her waist.

"Mitchie!" she squealed, running towards my Mum. Mum screamed and met Chloe half way across the room. Chloe gave her an awkward one armed hug around Luke and they started talking over the top of each other.

"How are you?"

"You look great!"

"Wow I've missed you!"

"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" That was from my Mum, of course. It was easy to tell the difference. Chloe was the first genuine English person I had ever listened to and I realised just how wrong disney had it. They made the british sound so posh, which they did, but they sounded so fake on TV. Chloe sounded genuinley nice, not posh, just nice.

"I thought you knew," she was saying.

"Well I'm not phsycic and nobody told me so no, I didn't!"

"I'm so sorry," Luke wriggled in her arms. "Luke, meet Auntie Mitchie," Chloe held out my 'cousin' for Mum to take and he giggled happily as my Mum held him. Chloe then turned to me.

"Katie?" I nodded as she scurried forwards. "Well haven't you grown! You look just like your Dad!"

**I don't know how long it is because I wrote it on my phone in the car which means there's probably a lot of typos because I don't have a spell checker. I know you're all wondering what happened to Shane but I don't know. Well I do but you'll have to wait and see.**

**Tell me what you think,**

**~Spwarkle**


	2. Some old friends and an old enemy

**I wrote most of this last night but I've just managed to check through it and finish it to my satisfaction.**

I was holding Luke in my arms as he chattered to me, half in English and half in baby. This place was exactly the same as it had been all those years ago when I had lived here except now there was a lot of baby stuff and grubby hand prints along the walls. My room had been turned into a nursery but the double bed was still there and it was where I was sleeping.

I listened to Chloe greeting my daughter and smiled to myself. Chloe made a great mother as she had proved with Luke. I couldn't believe she hadn't told me she was pregnant but I quickly forgave her.

I heard her greet Katie.

"Katie?" My daughter didn't reply but I guessed she was shy. She wasn't a very shy person but Chloe and Jase were an exception. Jason was a rock star and Chloe was the 'Aunt' that Katie knew everything about yet couldn't remember meeting. "Well haven't you grown! You look just like your Dad!"

For almost a full second there was silence in the room. Chloe realized what she had said and Jason opened his eyes wide. I almost dropped Luke. Katie didn't know that this lot knew Shane. Hell, Katie didn't know her dad was Shane. After I caught him... I cut off the thought before it hurt me all over again. Besides, she looked more like me than Shane. She had his hair and eyes but her face was mine. Then there was the fact she was a girl!

Lets just say that when Katie was about four months old I found out the secret Shane had been carefully keeping from me. I didn't want to hear his excuses so I left him there and then. After that I moved out of his house, taking my baby girl with me. Katie never knew who her father was and hopefully she never would.

Unless Chloe gave it away.

"Jason, why don't you show Katie around," I suggested loudly. Jason agreed and pulled Katie into my room.

"Oh my gosh! Mitch I am so sorry!" Chloe hissed, running over. "It was just an automatic reaction!"

"I know, it's fine Chloe. I just don't want her knowing. I know she calls you aunt and uncle but if she realised Nate and Jase were really her uncles then she'd figure it out in no time. I don't want her knowing."

"Mitch you can't keep it from her forever," Chloe said kindly. "One of these days Shane _is _going to turn up at a family party, even if he seems like a jerk at the moment." It was true. Shane was off on his solo career and fifteen years later he was still popular. He was good but ever since I broke up with him he went back to being a jerk again.

"Chloe, I know it can't last forever but I can try, can't I?" Katie came out of my room at that point and I quickly handed Luke to Chloe so that Katie wouldn't be suspicious.

"Are you sure you don't want the camp bed?" Jason was asking.

"I'm fine, Uncle Jay." Katie promised. I saw her looking slightly confused and hurt, probably because of being told she looked like Shane. She did take after him more than she took after me. She had his black curls and his eyes. Every time I made eye contact with her I was reminded of the way Shane would look at me before...

Well as long as Shane didn't show up here I didn't care. He was doing a tour of England right now but he had been ignoring his family all these years, why would now be any different?

All the same, I couldn't help but worry as we sat down to eat the full roast dinner Chloe had cooked. We didn't eat until eleven but all we did before then was unpack.

"When's your due date?" I asked Chloe, cutting a piece of chicken. Katie sat beside me, eating in silence. It was strange to think that the last time I had sat at this table I had been pregnant with her, yet here she was eating a meal as a grown up.

"November fifteenth," Chloe told me. "But Luke was due on February seventeenth and he wasn't born until the twenty eighth so I'm not to sure I believe it."

"Well Katie was due on the twenty ninth of June and that's when she was born," I reminded her.

"I know! You were dancing at your-" I kicked Jason and he winced, but changed his sentence. "At the party and you went into labour. You fainted, right?" "Yeah," I didn't want to stay on this touchy subject so I changed the topic. "Have you heard from Lily and all that lot recently?" I hadn't seen my friends since the day of my wedding and I missed them.

"Well," Chloe looked slightly evasive. "Not really, no." I remembered how Jason had seemed the same way in the car. Well if they were planning some sort of surprise, let them.

When we finished dinner, I insisted on helping to clear up. Chloe did it all the time and I wanted to see if anything much had changed in the kitchen.

As I tidied, Chloe went off to change Luke and Jason sat with Katie on the sofa, showing her how to use the TV. The news was on and I heard a familiar name.

"Shane Gray is an idiot," Katie exclaimed, then gasped. "Sorry Jason! I didn't mean that!" Jason laughed.

"Nah, I think so too," he threw me a glance. "What do you hate the most about my brother?"

"The way he broke that girl's heart. I heard about how he came to England after his girlfriend and then cheated on her. I just think he is such a-" she broke off, throwing a guilty look in my direction but I barely noticed. She _knew._ She didn't know it was me, but she knew what had happened.

"Hey guys," Chloe said as she came in, smiling cheerily. She soon picked up on the mood. "What's up?" The TV carried on in the background and Shane's name was mentioned again. "Oh, are you discussing how jerky my brother-in-law is?" I nodded and laughed, attempting to break the silence. Jason joined me.

"Sometimes I wish he wasn't my brother,"

"No, don't! He's just got problems, he's still your brother and you should be glad he's important enough to be on the news at all! He's just a guy who needs some love and attention from his family." It was then I began wondering why I was defending the man who broke my heart.

"Mitchie, can you come and help me tidy my wardrobe?" Chloe said pointedly, handing Luke to her husband. I didn't look at Katie as I scurried into the bedroom. Chloe closed the door and then turned to face me, hands on her hips.

"You still have feelings for him," she stated.

"No I don't!" I replied too quickly, heat rushing into my cheeks.

"'He's just a guy who needs some love and attention from his family!'" She mimicked. "Mitchie, if you're so sure, why not go see him?"

"What?"

"Mitch, you've been avoiding him for fifteen years, it's about time he met his daughter. It's not even like Katie is a secret. He knows he has a daughter and he knows what she's called. The last time he spoke to us, years and years ago, do you know what he said?" I shook my head mutely. "He said 'I wish she'd given me a chance to _explain. _She just ran off. I'd give anything for just one chance to see Katie again.'" I sighed and watched my fingers fiddling in my lap. I did still have feelings for Shane and I knew it. I had never really got over him, despite what I had told Caitlyn countless times. I opened my mouth to speak but then closed it again, unsure of what to say. Before Chloe could speak the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Jason shouted and I heard a scuffling of feet. Suddenly the footsteps stopped.

"Actually, can you garb it Katie?"

"What? But you're standing like two feet away from it,"

"Katie, whos house is this?" I asked, emerging from the bedroom.

"Fine," she sighed, standing up and trudging over to it. She opened it as I reached the desk by the window. I wasn't really interested in Chloe's guests. There were only three people I wanted to see soon and only a few others I even knew. I saw a familiar picture sitting on the sleek black desk and grinned.

"Hi, Chloe invited us over," said a girls voice from the door. I barely heard her as I looked at the picture. It had been taken the day I met Lily, Hattie and Poppy, as well as a few others. We were all laughing as one of the boys, Kyle, attacked Poppy with a snowball.

"Who're you?" asked one of the voices in the background.

"Katie. I'm staying with Chloe and Jase for a few weeks."

"Katie? As in Mitchie's daughter?" I glanced up sharply and gasped.

_"_Lily! Hattie! Poppy!" I said far too loudly, running forwards as they all looked up.

"Mitchie!" they all gasped together. We all ran towards each other and met in the middle for a group hug.

"Girls, what are you doing here?" I asked them as we pulled away.

"Chloe told us to come round," Poppy explained. I looked at my ex-bridesmaids properly for the first time.

They had all changed. Lily's dark blonde hair had been cut shorter into a bob which suited her style. Poppy was wearing thicker eyeliner which gave her a more distinguished look and made her look older. Hattie looked almost exactly the same. She had straightened out her curls and as she waved her hand in the air I caught sight of a sparkling silver ring on her finger.

"Hattie, what's that?" I asked her. She laughed.

"It's my engagement ring, Mitch. I'm getting married in August!" So it was only me that ruined my life as a teenager. Everyone else waited until the normal age to fall in loved and get married, then waited even longer to have kids.

"Congratulations," I told her, catching sight of Katie, still standing awkwardly by the door. "Katie, come and meet my friends." She came over and stood in front of us, not looking nervous at all except for the way she twiddled her hair between her fingers.

"Is that Katie?" Lily said. Katie nodded, frowning slightly.

"Oh my gosh, you've grown so much since we last saw you!" Poppy exclaimed.

"How old is she now? Fifteen?"

"Yeah. Katie, this is Lily, Hattie and Poppy. They're three of my friends from when I lived here years ago," Katie greeted each of them.

"What are you doing here?" Lily asked. "You're not due here for bout three days, unless you came early on purpose."

"What're you on about?" I asked, confused.

"I assumed you'd be touring with-"

"No!" I shouted, drowning out his name. I gave them an 'I'll explain later' look and then risked a glance at Katie, who just looked confused.

There had been way too many close calls for one day. Maybe visiting England wasn't such a good idea after all.

"You wanna come out tonight?" Lily asked. It was almost ten in the evening and we were all sitting around the kitchen table.

"Lil, I have a daughter here with me!" I reminded her, nodding towards Katie who was lounging on the sofa.

"So? All we want you to do is come out! It's been almost sixteen years since you came for a night out with us all!" I sighed and looked around. Even Chloe was sitting with a pout, just begging me to go out.

"Fine! I give in!" I surrendered. My friends cheered and Hattie leant forwards.

"Maybe you'll tell us what happened between you and _him,_ at the same time,"

"Sure, why not? Who cares if everyone knows about my disastrous love life!" I said, far too loudly. Katie threw me an interested glance and I lowered my voice. "I'll tell you," I promised. Hattie smiled and clapped her hands childishly.

"We'll leave now, if you want," Poppy suggested. "Non of us are changing because by the time Lily was ready it would be tomorrow evening." We all laughed at Lily's wounded expression.

"Jase!" Chloe called her husband. Jason peered out from Luke's room where he had been trying unsuccessfully to sing his son to sleep for the past several hours.

"Yeah, hun?"

"We're going out! We should be back by… sometime." I giggled.

"Katie, I want you asleep by half eleven," I allowed her generously. "Jase, you're in charge!"

"Women!" he sighed exasperatedly. We all laughed and then grabbed our various bags and left.

Poppy dragged us all into some night club on the outskirts of town. At first I thought it was just a normal club but as we walked in I saw the others taking off their shoes.

"What is this place?" I shouted over the music as somebody glided past me.

"It's called Mo'Jive. They have roller discos and tonight we're coming here because it brings back memories, from when we were kids." I handed over my shoes uncertainly.

"I have awful balance," I admitted as I attempted to lace up the boots.

"You'll get used to it," Chloe promised, shouting over the music just as I had to.

I still don't know how, but I somehow managed not to fall over as my friends made a chain and dragged me onto the smooth floor. Chloe laughed as I lost my balance but I managed to tip myself back onto my feet. Chloe probably shouldn't have been skating since she was pregnant but I could see why she was. She was an expert! She was whizzing along, not wobbling at all, swerving in and out of other, less certain skaters.

The lights were brightly colored and held multiple patters, changing designs every few seconds. In the corners of the wooden floor were white sofas that people were deliberately skating into, landing in laughing heaps on top of their friends.

I soon got the hang of it and managed to keep up with Poppy and Hattie. Lily was off with Chloe winding up a teenage couple who were trying to skate holding hands with two girls flying around them. I laughed as the girl gave an exasperated sigh and dragged her boyfriend up to the bar. I sincerely hoped they knew the consequences of drinking too much… I certainly did.

After about an hour we all slid up to the bar and Chloe offered to pay for our drinks. We all ordered coke's and the helpful girl behind the bar, Jessica, told us that we could take our drinks into the bathroom because it was cooler in there.

"Thanks," I said. She threw me a startled glance, obviously not expecting an American to be hanging around with a group of British friends. Chloe laughed and grabbed my hand, pulling me into the toilets.

There was a little ramp inside the door and we all slid down it one by one, laughing when Hattie slipped and landed on her backside. The toilets were much cooler, helped by the little window a few feet up that was wide open, letting in the cold night air. We all leant against the sinks, sipping our drinks.

"Okay, we've all had enough waiting." Lily said as she sorted her hair in one of the mirrors. She smoothed it one last time and turned around. "Mitchie, tell us what's going on with you and Shane." Chloe threw me a look that said 'good luck' and I sighed, slowly placing my coke on the edge of the sink.

"Nothing is 'going on' with Shane and I," I told them truthfully. "I haven't actually spoken to him for about fifteen years,"

"What!" Three startled voices asked.

"Four months after Katie was born, I turned up at one of his shows to surprise him," I explained, my brain miles away as I remembered that summer night. "After the show I walked into his dressing room expecting to see him straightening his hair or something but what I saw…" Tears sprung to my eyes and I looked away, unable to continue. Chloe skated over and took my hand.

"Shane was cheating on her." She said simply.

"What?" Hattie growled angrily.

"What a bastard," Lily agreed.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Poppy added. I shook my head slowly, letting the tears drip to the floor.

"Who… who was it?" Lily asked very quietly.

"Tess Tyler," I spat, the word tasting like venom in my mouth.

"Tess Tyler? As in _the _Tess Tyler, the one you thought was your friend? Like Shane Gray's ex-girlfriend?" Yeah, that's right. The day after I caught them, it was all over the papers. Somebody else had caught them kissing and taken photos…

"I never really believed she could change that much," I said. "Tess Tyler is just a stuck up witch who has no respect fro anybody except herself. She never does anything that could mess up her hair or that would damage her image. It's all about her personal enjoyment," I wiped a tear from my eye. Bitching about Tess Tyler felt surprisingly good.

All of a sudden, a girl speared at the bottom of the ramp. The door didn't swing open so she must have been here the whole time I was telling my friends about Shane which meant she now knew who I was.

I looked up to see her expression, expecting to see a bewildered or shocked girl, maybe even star struck. But what I saw was so much. I saw a girl in her twenties with shoulder length blonde hair and red lips. Her arms were folded across her chest and of looks could kill, I would probably have exploded into several billion atoms a long time ago.

"Nice to know what you think of me," Tess Tyler observed.

**What's Mitchie going to do now? Shane cheated on her with Tess Tyler and now Tess is back… in case you're wondering, Mo Jive is a real place – google it. They actually do roller discos and stuff! It's so amazing!**

**Thanks for reading this far! I know this is only chapter 2 but if you've stuck with me right from the beginning of Mitchie's Unrevealed, thank you so much!**

**I have a lot of alerts and favorites but not many ****reviews****… **_**hint hint…**_

**~Spwarkle**


	3. A phone call and an explanation

**Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock or JONAS however much I wish I did. I **_**do **_**own Katie, Chloe, Luke, Lily, Hattie, Poppy and anybody else you don't recognize from the movies.**

**Katie's POV**

I flicked through the channels, bored of watching news about a jerk of a pop star named Shane Gray. The first channel that caught my eye was a close up of Jason's face. I laughed out loud.

"Uncle Jase, you're on TV!" I told him. He glanced around from where he was sitting on his laptop and smiled, coming to lean on the back of the sofa as the program continued.

"That must be quite old," he told me as the scene changed. I vaguely recognized the name. The program was called JONAS. It was the TV show Connect 3 had been on years and years ago, before I was even born. The main character was unfortunately Shane, or Joe as he was called.

Jason watched the end of the episode with me, remembering it. I saw him smile at the very end when the credits rolled on.

"That brought back a lot of memories," he said. I smiled. It was a slightly messed up program about all three brothers falling for a pizza girl but it was funny and I enjoyed seeing the two men who had grown up like uncles to me as teenage boys.

"There was only one person in that program I didn't like," I told him. The phone rang and he stood up.

"Let me guess who that would be," he said, pretending to think as he grabbed the phone. "It wouldn't be- Shane?"

"Perhaps it would," I said, only realizing after I spoke that he was talking to the person on the other end of the phone. I narrowed my eyes. Shane was calling his brother for the first time in fifteen years. I wondered what was up.

"What do you want?" Jason snapped, sounding angrier than I had ever heard him sound. "No of course I haven't! Yes, honestly. Shane, get over it." Jason threw a strange glance my way; partially apologetic and partially… Worried? Did he think I was going to steal the phone off of him and tell Shane Gray what I thought of him? Yeah, that was likely. "Shane, we've got guests… yes, I know…" his expression changed to one of pity. "I'm sorry, I can't help you. I promised Mi- her I wouldn't tell you." For a few seconds he listened, looking sad and then even I could hear the loud beep as Shane hung up.

"What did he want?" I asked.

"I'm not too sure. It's the first time he's called any of us in like, fifteen years and all he did was have a go at me…" he looked thoughtful. "Do you want to go into town with your Mum tomorrow? I know she'll be desperate to go and look around a bit," No, I wanted to stay here with people I barely knew all day.

"Sure!" I agreed enthusiastically. At least then I could escape for my own time if I really wanted to. Jason grinned as the phone rang again.

"Nate?" he asked as he checked the caller id. "Yeah, he rang me." For a second he listened and then nodded solemnly. I stood up and wandered over to the kitchen. "I know, I don't get it either but he wants to visit," I froze. Was he talking about Shane? He wanted to visit? The concert was in three days which meant he would be visiting any time... while I was staying here. I didn't care how famous he was. I had no intention of meeting a dope who had spent fifteen years pretending his family didn't exist. "No, I know," Jason continued, lowering his voice. I strained my ears to hear. "Nate, he could turn up at any time and she's staying here... No! I'm not telling her, do you know what that would do to her?" Who was her? Were they talking about Mum? "I can't, bro. Sorry but I can't do that to my little sister…" I risked a glance and saw his serious expression as he listened to Nate, his frown gradually turning into a smile. "Of course! That's perfect! I'll see you soon then." He looked at me and winked. "Bye Nate!"

Jason hung up and then looked at me, speaking in his normal voice.

"Katie, I think you need to go to bed," I glanced at the clock. It was almost half eleven. "Your stuff is in your Mum's room so you can go in there to get changed… I guess you can stay in there for tonight. I don't think Mitch and Chloe are going to be in any state to go to bed when they get home. You'll probably wake up in the morning to find them sleeping on the sofa."

"Uncle Jase, was that your brother on the phone?"

"Yeah," he looked wary. "Why?"

"Well I know he hasn't contacted any of you for years and years. I was wondering why he finally rang you," Jason shrugged.

"I don't know. But if he comes to visit, promise me one thing,"

"What?" Jason walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder, looking grim.

"Don't go near him, stay out of the apartment," Well I wasn't going to hug him, was I? I had no intention of going near him but why Jason didn't want me to meet him was something else entirely.

"Why?"

"I don't want you to fall for his charm. Most teenage girls think he's wonderful and everything, but he's not. He's just self possessed and has a pretty face. I don't want you to loose the chance of being the only girl in the world who doesn't have a wall of Shane posters." I laughed and his face relaxed.

"It's alright, Jase. I don't want to meet him. I know he's pathetically obsessed with himself and I will never forget that."

"Good, I'm glad. Now go to bed before your Mother comes home and kills me," I rolled my eyes.

"Night Uncle Jase," he waved as I headed towards my Mum's room.

I closed the door quietly, careful not to disturb the sleeping toddler in the room next door. Luke had been moved into Jason's room while we were staying.

My pajamas were laying on the bed already, a white top with multi coloured dots and a blue edge with matching bottoms. I pulled them on and then pulled my black curls back into a loose bun. The last thing I remember doing before I fell asleep was removing my mascara and curling up under the deluxe cover.

xOx

**Mitchie's POV**

"Nice to know what you think of me," Tess observed. I swallowed and felt my eyes open to the point they had only ever opened to the last time I had seen Tess.

"Who're you?" Poppy asked, obviously concerned for me.

"Who do you think I am?" Tess scoffed, hand on hip. "I'm Tess Tyler, the girl that Mitchie here loves so much,"

"Mitch?" All I could do was nod slowly. Chloe looked worried and took my hand, squeezing it tightly for support.

"What are you doing here?" Hattie shot.

"I was roller skating when I decided I needed the loo and as I came in here I heard Shane's name so I thought, why not listen. Then I heard the _whole _thing,"

"What do you want Tess?" I asked her, finally gaining the ability to speak.

"Well five minutes ago I would have said, 'to tell you the truth' but now I'm not too sure." Chloe shared a look with Lily, who rolled forwards a few inches.

"Go away Tess,"

"Why should I listen to you?"

"Because I have a black belt in karate," Poppy stepped in.

"Sure you do honey," Chloe could see this was going nowhere so she spoke up.

"Because I'm a professional make up artist and I could make you look ugly. And as well as that, I'm married to Shane's brother, so I suggest you keep out," Tess smiled.

"You're Chloe, as in Jason's wife?" Chloe nodded stiffly. "I heard about you. Congratulations on the kid," her eyes flickered to the slight bump on Chloe's stomach. "And I'm guessing you have another one on the way too, either that or it's puppy fat."

"Tess leave us alone," I spat, looking straight into her eye. She sighed.

"You know, if I hadn't heard that conversation, if I'd just wandered in here and met you I would probably have told you the truth, but never mind,"

"What do you mean?" I asked, knowing I shouldn't be curious.

"About Shane and me, of course. Now hurry up and leave, you're polluting the air," I gave her a disgusted look and allowed my friends to push me out into the main hall. They waited until the door was completely shut to crowd around me.

"Mitchie, are you okay?" Chloe asked. I nodded, discreetly wiping a single tear from my eye.

"Can we- can we maybe go home?" It was only just past half past eleven and this place didn't shut until one in the morning but I didn't want to stay in the same building as Tess any longer.

"Sure, let's go," Lily said, taking my hand and somehow skating over to the shoe counter and unlacing her boots at the same time. "Hey," she told the girl behind the counter. "We're leaving, can we have our shoes back,"

"Of course," the girl said sweetly, taking the skates we offered her. Five minutes later we were standing on the road outside, shivering as we waited for the taxi. I stood a little distance away from the others, my hands holding my elbows absently as I thought.

Last I had heard TJ Tyler had been the opening act for Shane's tour. I guessed Tess had been touring with her Mum so if she was here, Shane was due in Southampton any day, perhaps he was already here. I had already known that, but now Tess knew I was here she would tell Shane and he would either come racing after me with some made up story or do something that would give away who he was to Katie, I was sure of it. I couldn't have Katie know he was her Dad, not after all this time telling her I had never even met him.

The taxi pulled up and we all piled in. I saw Lily throw me a few worried glances as they babbled away about the roller disco but I ignored them, lost in my own world. If Shane found me now, after all these successful years of hiding from him, what would I do?

At night, Southampton was beautiful and usually I would watch in wonder as we drove past the hundreds of shops with their unique displays and lights but tonight all I saw was a blur of colours. I didn't know what to do. I still loved Shane, after everything, I still had feelings for him. I had been carefully avoiding holidays and concerts that could put me within a mile of him for almost fifteen years because I knew that if I was standing in the crowd at a concert or watching him sing a love song I would have to run to see him. It would be automatic I would have to tell him how I felt and although it shouldn't the thought of him knowing made me feel slightly better.

But what if I did meet him and maybe, just maybe, he came up with a good enough excuse to win me over? What would I do then? How could I tell Katie that I had lied about her whole life? I had lied about knowing Shane, told her false things about her family. Everyone she didn't think was related to her was and I didn't know how my teenage daughter would react to this. She might be excited or angry, maybe even shocked but I knew that whatever she appeared on the outside, she would be hurting on the inside, knowing her own mother had lied to her about everything.

I was interrupted by Chloe shaking my shoulder.

"Mitch?" I looked around. All of my friends had gone; we must have already stopped at their apartment. "Mitch, we're home,"

"Oh," I reached into my pocket and grabbed a twenty pound note from my purse, handing it to the driver. "Keep the change," I told him and then allowed Chloe to take me out into the freezing night.

"Mitch, are you okay? Did meeting Tess upset you?" I shook my head.

"I was just thinking about… Shane and me actually," Chloe raised her eyebrows.

"I thought you walked out on him, telling him you never wanted to see him again and that you were removing yourself and Katie from his life,"

"I did," I replied simply and then sighed as we stopped in the warm lobby. "I did, but I'm not sure any more. Fifteen years on, I'm kind of beginning to wonder if I saw what I thought. I mean, I just caught Tess kissing him and then left, I didn't give him time to…" I trailed off as I realized what I had said.

"Mitch?" Chloe looked startled as tears began trickling down my cheeks. I hadn't cried in a long time.

"Chloe, he wasn't cheating on me," I realized out loud.

"What?" she folded her hands across her stomach looking completely confused.

"He wasn't cheating on me," I repeated. "He loved me too much. He was attacked by Tess. She always said she'd get him, but I thought after everything we'd been through she would have left us alone." I began to sob and Chloe hugged me firmly as the truth slowly sunk in. Shane had never cheated on me, he had always been loyal. I thought backwards and realized that in the last fifteen years, Shane had been caught dating nobody, despite the way his bad boy attitude had seemed and he hadn't broken any hearts except mine. "Chloe I made a mistake," I said, wiping my eyes as the door swung open. I spun around to see an all too familiar blonde standing there.

"What do you want Tess?" Chloe asked pointedly.

"I want to apologise," Tess told us, looking guilty.

"What for now? Breaking Mitchie's heart? Stalking us home? Behind as much of a-" I covered her mouth with my hand.

"It's too late Tess, I already figured it out."

"You did?" I nodded. "Look, Mitchie I'm sorry. I… I don't know what came over me. You weren't there and I walked in and it was just automatic. When he turned around I pounced on him and before he could push me off you appeared and took everything the wrong way. When you left and I saw Shane's face… I don't know what I was thinking. I caused you both so much pain and I really regret it but…" She looked at me, tears brimming her eyes. "Can you ever forgive me for what I did, for tearing your family, hell, your _world _in half?"

"I don't know Tess," I answered truthfully. "I guess I can but… it might take a while. You ruined my whole life. I've lived fifteen years working on my own, giving up my dreams because of you and it's not something I can just forget. Maybe in time I'll forgive you, but not right this second."

"Well that's better than I was expecting." I tried to smile but the hatred was still bubbling inside of me and it came out more like a grimace. "I promise not to ever get involved with Shane and you again,"

"Thanks Tess," she smiled sadly.

"I'm going to go, but text me, okay?" I smiled and took the piece of paper she offered.

"Okay, I will. See you…" I couldn't say soon because right now I didn't want to see her again. My life for the last fifteen years had been a lie, I had lied to everyone I knew and even myself all because of one girl who was supposed to be my friend. I knew that, eventually, I would forgive her, but for now we would have to be neutral, not friends but not enemies either.

Something deep inside of me told me that I wouldn't truly forgive her until I had spoken to Shane and my life was back on track. Now that I knew the truth I did want it to happen but not for a while, not after I had run off without giving him a chance to explain to me what was going on. Until he could forgive me I would never truly forgive myself. I had hurt him so much.

"Mitch?" I looked around and realized we were standing outside the apartment door. Wow, I had totally spaced out. Again.

"Sorry Chloe," I apologized.

"Don't worry," she opened the door and we tiptoed into the dark room to see Jason lying on the sofa, fast asleep. "Typical Jase," she said, rolling her eyes. "He waits up to make sure I get home safely and then falls asleep," I laughed as she crept over and leant down, placing her mouth by his ear and whispering something. Jason leapt up, spinning around until he saw Chloe's laughing form.

"Hey Chloe," he said, trying to act like he hadn't just been caught out.

"Hey Jase," he leant forwards to give him a quick peck on the cheek and I sighed internally. I had always pictured Shane and I doing that, until Tess had ruined it all. I glanced around.

"Jason, if you're here, where's Katie?"

"She went to sleep in your room, I told her she could,"

"Fair enough," I said.

After a few minutes, Jason and Chloe went to bed, careful not to wake Luke, and I lay down on the sofa, not having the energy to go into my room and locate my pajamas. I fell asleep to thoughts of Shane and what he would do if he ever met me again…

**Okay, so what do you think? The next chapter will be in Shane's POV and I promise it will be more interesting. **

**Tell me what you think, review it!**

**~Spwarkle**


	4. Is that?

www(dot)arhzine(dot)com/decoration/decoration/white-defeated-part-2-2/

**For Jase and Chloe's apartment- second one down.**

**I found a picture I thought suited it so that's the link, replace the (dot)'s with a proper dot.**

**On Google Images look up 'De'Vere Southampton' and you'll see Shane's hotel.**

**As promised, this chapter is in Shane's POV and I know I'm overdue for an update on TI but that probably won't happen until I'm finished with this! Sorry!**

**Shane's POV**

"Tess where are you?" I spat down the phone. I heard the blonde give an exasperated sigh.

"In Southampton, I'm just going out." I sighed. Trust Tess to go off on her own.

"Well next time you have the urge to skip three days ahead of us, tell someone. Your Mum's having a panic attack here."

"Whatever. I'm going now," I heard the dial tone and raised my eyebrows. Nobody hung up on Shane Grey.

Then I remembered that I wasn't Shane Grey. I was just Shane, a man who pretended to be Shane Grey for the sake of the paparazzi. I had slipped back to my old self fifteen years ago but after a few months I realized that she wouldn't want me being a jerk again so I tried to stop, but by that point it was too late. The public already thought I had gone jerky again; even my family were being cold and turning their backs on me. What hurt the most was that it was for no good reason.

Mitchie hadn't seen what she had thought. It wasn't me kissing Tess, it was Tess kissing me. I thought back. The concert had just finished and I was going to go home and see Mitchie. She had said she might bring Katie to see me but she hadn't arrived yet so I guessed she wasn't coming. Then the door swung open and Tess was there. Before I could react, she was kissing me and as much as I tried to pull away, as hard as I pushed her, she gripped on. Next thing I knew, Mitchie was there and she misunderstood the whole situation, running off in tears.

Just when everything had felt perfect; We were married, we had a beautiful little daughter and I had a stable career. Mitchie was on her way to becoming the next teen pop sensation and everything had seemed perfect. Until Tess had got involved and ruined it all. If only Mitchie had arrived ten seconds earlier or later she would have seen Tess attacking me or me pushing her off. I still hadn't forgiven her.

When I had heard that TJ Tyler was going to be my opening act, to say that I was pissed would be an understatement. I knew that ever since she had failed to get a record deal, Tess travelled with her Mum and if TJ Tyler was travelling with me, so was Tess. I had been completely blanking her for almost fifteen years and now I had to share a tour bus with her. At least tonight we were staying in a hotel and she'd disappeared.

TJ was now running around in a panic. Tess had gone off without telling anyone where she was or how long she would be gone for. I was lounging on the sofa, my feet on the coffee table.

"Chill," I told her. "Tess is in Southampton, she's fine,"

At the word Southampton, something was triggered in my mind. It was the second to last tour stop in this country before I went back home for a well earned break. I tried not to think back to the last time I had been in the city but it didn't work.

The last time I had been in Southampton was when I found Mitchie, when she finally contacted me and I found out about our child for the first time. Words couldn't describe what I felt. I had found her here and now I was returning without her. Some of her best friends lived in Southampton, along with my brother and his wife, and if any of them saw me I would probably get a slap or two.

Another thought came to me. Jason. I hadn't spoken to him since he had heard about me 'cheating' on Mitchie. I hadn't spoken to anyone, except sending Nate a text every year or so that went along the lines of: _If you knew the truth, it wouldn't hurt so much. _So far he had never replied. But I was going to be in Southampton, I could visit Jason.

Maybe, just maybe, he would listen to my explanation and possibly give me some way of contacting Mitchie and Katie. I really missed my daughter and my wife. Technically, Mitch was still my wife because we had never officially divorced. But Katie was a different matter. I didn't know anything about her. Was she tall or short, fat or thin? Did she take after Mitch or me? Was she smart? Could she sing? And most importantly, did she know who I was?

I don't mean 'has she heard of Shane Grey' but does she know I'm her dad? I guess not, Mitchie probably pulled herself away. Katie Chloe Grey, my beautiful little girl, had probably never even met Jason and Nate. It wouldn't surprise me if Mitch had kept the fact she knew them secret from her own daughter. I wondered yet again where she had moved to, had she stayed near to her parents or gone abroad? Maybe she had come back to England…

_Cut it out Shane! _I told myself. Even if she was in Southampton right at this very moment, there was no way I was going to find her. She wouldn't come to my concert, I was sure of that, and I also knew that if any screaming fan girls ran past her, she would turn and sprint in the opposite direction.

To me, Katie would always be a baby. Until I met her again, probably never, she would be a little baby girl, a tiny child in my arms. I knew that Mitchie would never let us meet, she wouldn't want to meet me again and she would do her best to keep Katie away from me. A sudden inspiration came to me and I pulled out my phone.

The only contact I had had from my family in the last decade and a half was a single email from my parents telling me the latest phone numbers for themselves and my brothers. I had Jason's number, mobile and home, and I had Nate's. I was pretty sure they would still be in contact with Mitch and if they weren't, Caitlyn and Chloe definitely would be. Maybe, just maybe…

Before I could wimp out I pulled my phone from my pocket and scrolled through the contacts until I found Jason. I looked at the numbers, guessing the one that started _02380 _was unlikely to be his mobile and pressed the green button.

The phone rang twice and then I heard the click as he picked it up.

"It wouldn't be- Shane?" I heard him say. I guessed he was talking to someone else and had just checked the caller id.

"Perhaps it would," said a distant voice. I couldn't tell if it was Chloe or if they had guests.

"What do you want?" his voice dripped with anger and I spoke before he could talk again, desperate to get my point across.

"Jase, look I'm sorry but I need to know, have you heard from Mitch?"

"No of course I haven't!" I knew that wasn't true.

"Jase, are you telling the truth?"

"Yes, honestly. Shane, get over it!"

"I can't get over it! Jason, I still love Mitchie! Please give me five minutes!"

"Shane we've got guests," I listened but I couldn't hear anyone which meant all of the guests were either listening or figments of Jason's imagination.

"Jason, please. I still love her and I need to talk to her!"

"Yes, I know,"

"Just tell me where she is!" I felt like my heart was breaking all over again. I was so close.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you. I promised Mi- her I wouldn't tell you,"

"Jason, you already told me once. All those years ago, you were the reason we got back together and now you're the reason she'll never know the truth. By the way, I'm visiting when I get there." I hung up and didn't bother to wipe away the tears trickling down my face.

Jason couldn't lie even over the phone. He was still in contact with Mitch, but he had guests over and he didn't want to break a promise to his little sister. Mitchie obviously hadn't cut off her ties with my family when she left me. I was pretty sure she was also in contact with Nate.

I was still holding my phone so I opened a new text to Nate. It was only two words but that was two words more then I had bothered to send him before.

_Call Jason _it read. I knew it would confuse Nate but I also knew he would call Jason before he texted me back. He was that type of guy.

After that I sat still for a very long time, motionless and thoughtless. When I finally found the strength to look at the clock, it was past one in the morning. We were leaving at half nine to travel down to Southampton so I supposed I should get some sleep but I didn't have the energy to go to my room. Instead, I closed my eyes where I was and struggled to fall asleep.

It took a long time, but eventually the black engulfed me and I slipped into a peaceful sleep of regrets and wishes…

"Shane, get up!" I leapt awake, groaning when it pulled a muscle in my neck. I had fallen asleep at an awkward angle.

"What is it?" I asked the diva queen in front of me. She shook her artificial blonde curls out of the way and applied yet more lipstick as she spoke.

"We're leaving in half an hour. Thought I'd wake you," then she wandered into the bathroom and I groaned. Half an hour to sort out this not in my neck and find something to eat.

Ten minutes later I was sitting in the little restaurant with my sunglasses covering my face and a hood to add to the image. A few teenage girls sat in the corner and I was glad I had taken precautions before I arrived and got mobbed.

I chewed the rubbery bacon and swallowed the rest of the tasteless food. I didn't know what I had just eaten but it had at least filled a hole in my stomach. I trudged back up to my room and changed quickly, pulling on the first outfit I could find. When I emerged into the hotel room, TJ Tyler herself was looking impatient.

"Shane, could you please hurry up? I want to get to Southampton and find my daughter," her phone rang and reached for it. "Excuse me; I have to take this _important _call," I sighed and grabbed the handle to her suitcase as well as mine, dragging them down the hall and into the lift. Sure, I could have got the staff to do this but I wanted some more thinking time.

What had gone on between Nate and Jason last night? Neither of them had even texted me to show they had been in contact but I guessed Nate would have rung. I wondered what conclusion they would have come to, what reason they thought I had finally called for.

The loud _ping _alerted me I had come to my destination and I stepped out, keeping my head down as I hurried to the awaiting limo. Seconds after I stepped out into the drizzly morning, my companion appeared from the lift behind me. I climbed into the limo and closed the door, earning a glare form TJ Tyler when she climbed in.

The two hour journey passed in mostly silence. We sat in the car for almost the whole time, except when we stopped at a market town called Chippenham for a toilet break and to grab coffees. I hurried in and out of starbucks but a few girls still spotted me.

"I'll buy you all a coffee if you don't scream," I promised them. The slightly chubbier girl at the front who was wearing too much makeup laughed.

"My Mum's the manager, we already get free coffee," I groaned. "But, if you could get us tickets to your next concert…"  
"Fine, done. How many do you want?" The tallest girl at the back had already done the maths.

"Ten, one for each of us and one for a friend each," I nodded and waved to the security guard who was standing inconspicuously by the door. My guards always carried things like tickets for bribing fans. "Ten tickets," I told him. He handed me a neatly folded stack wordlessly and I handed them to the tarty girl. She took them and I ran with my coffee before she could ask for anything else.

"You took you time," TJ Tyler observed when I ducked back inside the limo.

"Fans," I told her breathlessly. She ignored me and pulled out her phone.

An hour later, we finally pulled into the hotel car park in Southampton. There was no traffic so we had had a clear, smooth run. The hotel was the same one I had stayed in all those years ago, which didn't help the odd feeling I had in my stomach. I felt slightly apprehensive, if I decided to visit Jason I might learn things I didn't want to.

What if Mitchie had moved on? What if she had found another man who she loved more than me? What if they were married, maybe Katie thought this unknown stranger was her Dad! What if- I stopped because there was no point panicking. It was Southampton; Mitchie wasn't going to be here. She might visit every now and again to see Chloe but why would she be here right now, when I was due in town? The obvious answer sprung to mind but I pushed it away. Mitchie would never go anywhere to see me, not deliberately.

TJ Tyler had, thankfully, been assigned a different room to me. As we went up in the glass lift, watching Saturday morning Southampton below us, neither of us said a word. She hated me because I hated Tess, I hated her on principle. She never seemed to think about anything but herself and her daughter had ruined my life. Maybe, underneath it all, there was a nice woman but I doubted it.

My room was almost identical to the room I had stayed in last time. There were differences, but only subtle ones. The carpet was a slightly lighter shade of brown and the walls were beige instead of yellow. The chairs by the window looked newer, as if they had been replaced recently. I dropped onto one, staring lifelessly out of the window. From this room I could see the port, the cruise liners and the huge ships docked.

I must have been sat there for about an hour, idly watching the huge metal containers drift in and out of sight, when my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered, not knowing or caring who it was.

"Shane?" I groaned.

"What is it Tess?"

"Well I was wondering if you wanted to come for a coffee, not like on a date but I thought I might be able to persuade Jason to bring Chloe to see you. I know you called him last night, he rang me to find out if I knew what was wrong," This was Tess, right? She was being _nice _and caring for somebody who wasn't herself. What was the world coming to?

"Sure, I guess it'd be nice to see Jason,"

"Great, meet me in Starbucks in half an hour,"

"Fine. I'll be in disguise,"

"No way, really? Because I expected Shane Grey to go out for a personal meeting without a disguise," I could imagine her rolling her eyes.

"Tess," I said warningly.

"Okay, I know. Hang up and don't be late. Bye!" I heard the beep and sighed, sliding my phone back into my pocket. If I wanted to be there on time I would have to start getting ready sooner rather than later. I opened the suitcase I had dumped on my bed and pulled out a hoody and a pair of sunglasses. I pulled on the glasses and zipped up the hoody, covering my head with the grey material.

I arrived at Starbucks five minutes early and had just sat down with my first coffee when the door opened and Tess walked in.

The first person I saw was Jason, laughing as he walked in, hand in hand with Chloe. He looked almost the same as when I had last seen him, just older and less bird obsessed. I guessed the girl he had married had helped him get over his bird obsession but I didn't really know because I hadn't been at their wedding. Chloe was quite pretty, just like I remembered, but nothing particularly special. I guessed Jason had just fallen for her. He wouldn't have cared if she had a face like a pig; she was the one for him.

Chloe looked healthy and happy as she laughed. I noticed her arm resting on her stomach and saw the bump there. Jason had got her pregnant again. He would always be there for her, always. I wished I could have been there for Mitchie the whole time, as she grew bigger and bigger. Maybe then she would have believed me when I said that what she saw was not what she thought. But no, I hadn't seen her until she was over half way through her pregnancy with a huge swollen stomach and back pains.

Tess told Jason what drink she wanted and then looked around as the others went to order. She caught sight of me and I nodded my head so she would know she was right. Tess hurried over and leant down.

"Shane, please don't freak out but they don't know you're here," she told me.

"What?" I hissed. "Jason doesn't know he's here to meet me?"

"No, they wouldn't have come if they knew, I'm sorry!" Jason appeared with the drinks at that point and gave me a cheery grin.

"Hey Tess, who's your friend?" Tess gave me an apologetic look. I sighed and pulled down my hood. Jason almost dropped the coffees.

"Hey Jason," I said. He didn't speak so I took the chance and jumped in with an explanation. "Look, Jase, just give me thirty seconds to explain. I never cheated on Mitchie," I gave Tess a disgusted look and she at least had the dignity to look ashamed. "I swear, nothing happened. Mitch misunderstood everything. I didn't know what else to do so I went off and next thing I knew everyone hated me and I was back to being the bad boy of the press. Nobody would listen to me and after the label ended Connect 3 I was offered a solo career. I took it because I didn't know what else to do. Please, believe me Jason. I never wanted to break Mitchie's heart. I love her, I still do!" A single tear welled up and I pretended to itch my eye so that I could rub it away. Then I looked up at Jason and saw him having a silent conversation with Chloe.

Chloe seemed to be more affected than the others. She looked like a girl who was touched by a romantic movie at the point when the lovers overcome all evil to be with each other. I hadn't though Chloe was a romantic girl but you never knew.

"Shane, how am I supposed to believe you? For fifteen years you let us all think you cheated on Mitch with…" he gave Tess a pointed glance and then Tess sighed.

"I was hoping you'd figure this out by yourselves, but Shane never cheated on Mitchie. I attacked him and before he could push me off, Mitchie arrived. She got completely the wrong end of the stick, I swear. Shane ignored me for fifteen years but he has to put up with me now that my Mum's on tour with him,"

"I guess I forgive you then," Jason said as he let the news sink in. "I just… I'm not sure Mitch will find it as easy to accept the truth…" Chloe leaned up and whispered into his ear for a long moment. Jason's face turned confused and then shocked before finally returning to normal.

"Jase?" Before he could answer, an ear piercing scream filled the room.

"It's Shane Grey!"  
"And Jason!"

"It's Connect 3!"

"Oh my god!" A group of teenagers was massing outside the door, struggling to get inside. I swore and ran up to the counter.

"Is there a back way out of here?" The slightly star struck girl managed to nod.

"Straight through there," she pointed and I vaulted the counter, sprinting the way she had indicated. I found a door jammed open and ducked through it. Seconds later, Jason, Chloe and Tess appeared behind me.

"Now where?" Chloe asked, holding her stomach.

"Different directions," Tess advised. "Shane, pull your hood up and go back to the hotel. Jase and Chloe jump on a bus and go home. I'm okay because nobody knows me," I made to turn away but Jason stopped me.

"I'm sorry for not believing you, bro," he said.

"It's okay Jase. You had no reason to," he gave me a tight bug and I laughed. Some things never changed.

"See you lot later," I told them, pulling up my hood and running out of the cramped little alleyway onto the high street. There were still a lot of fans standing outside of the restaurant so I hurried in the opposite direction. I didn't know where I was going but I didn't really care. Jason was on my side! He knew the truth! Hopefully, he would tell Mitchie so she would at least know what really happened even if she didn't come back to me. I didn't want to get my hopes up too high, fifteen years later anything could have happened. She had probably gone off under a different name and met someone else.

I wondered what she looked like. Did she still have brown hair or had she died it black again? It had looked nice black and the curls had suited her but I preferred it natural, brown and straight. The curls had been like the curls on that girl just walking towards me. The girl looked about sixteen, she had deep brown curls and- I froze on the spot. Surely that was… Mitchie!

**He he I know what happens! I'm not going to be able to update for a week or so because I'm on holiday but if I can get on a computer I'll try to upload the stuff I'll end up writing on my phone. **

**Tell me what you think and please REVIEW!**

**Thanks,**

**~Spwarkle**


	5. I'm not me I'm someone else

**Hey I'm back. I managed to get on my Grandma's computer **_**and **_**I remembered to bring the computer cable with me so I wrote this on the way here. Again, sorry for any mistakes I don't have a spell checker and I don't have the time or energy to check it all on here…**

**I just realised that Luke is the name of the evil dude in Camp Rock 2 which I had completely forgotten because I've been skipping all of the bits set at Camp Star. I wouldn't have named Chloe and Jason's kid Luke if I'd realised. Just saying, Luke is not meant to be Luke Williams, he's just a toddler named after my brother.**

**On with the story:**

**Katie's POV **

I opened my eyes and lay still for a moment, trying to remember where I was. Then it came back to me, I was in England, visiting Jason and Chloe. I remembered falling asleep on my Mum's bed so it came as no surprise to me that I was still lying there. I sat up very slowly, listening to a slight noise in the room next door. Was Jason on the phone again? I strained my ears.

"Okay, that's great Nate. I'll pick you up at seven," Nate? Nate and Caitlyn were coming?

I pretended I hadn't heard the end of his conversation and climbed out of bed. One of the pillows had fallen onto the floor and as I was about to put it back, I spotted a strip of yellow under the other pillow. I pulled it out and read the cover:

_Mitchie's Songs _

It was covered with a load of little music notes.

Interested, I opened up the book to the first page and gasped. There was a whole song written out, sheet music and lyrics included. I had a secret passion for music, it was the only lesson I had never skipped. After fifteen years I had picked up a few things, including how to read it.

This was Jason Grey's house, there had to be something musical here, like a _piano. _I opened up the almost empty wardrobe and rummaged around. I finally found it, behind the baby changing table, a keyboard.

Checking that nobody had come in to see me, I gently eased it out and set it on the bed. I plugged it in to a spare socket and waited as it turned on. A few quick scales to make sure it was working and then I placed my Mum's song book on the stand. The music wasn't too complex but it worked well so I started to sing the lyrics.

_How to choose, who to be,_

_Well lets see,_

_There's so many choices now,_

_play guitar, be a superstar,_

_In my head a voice says,_

_Why not, try everything,_

_Why not reach for any dream,_

_I can rock because it's my life and nows the time,_

_Who will I be?_

_It's up to me,_

_all the never-ending possibilities,_

_That I can't see,_

_There's nothing that I can't do,_

_Who will I be?_

_Yes I believe, _

_I get to make the future what I want to,_

_If I can pick on anyone and know the choice is up to me,_

_Who will I be?_

I trailed off. The song went on but I didn't need to play it to know it would be amazing. My Mum had written this?

Suddenly, I became aware of the clapping behind me and turned slowly to see not only Mum, but Jason and Chloe, who was holding Luke, watching me. I felt my cheeks burn red and looked down. How long had they been stood there?

"Katie, that was fantastic!" My Mum said. "Why haven't you ever sung before?"

"Why didn't you tell me you wrote songs?" I challenged.

"It's just a hobby of mine," Mum said, not meeting my eye. "I haven't written many since you were born."

"But Mum, that's amazing!" I told her. She shook her head slowly.

"Katie, why didn't you tell us you could sing?" Jason asked.

"I never really thought I could," I admitted, looking away. I had never sung before because I didn't think I could. Chloe seemed to sense my discomfort.

"Katie, you're amazing, but enough of that, get dressed I'm taking you and Mitch into town in half an hour," I flashed her a grateful smile as she shooed Jason from the room, leaving me with my Mum. I picked up the book and held it out to her.

"Keep it," she said in a voice filled with emotion. She turned her face away. "I'm never going to use it again but with a voice like that, you'll need it."

"But Mum-" I protested.

"Katie, really, keep it. It brings back too many memories," then she left, leaving me standing there completely alone and baffled. Too many memories?

I paged through a few more songs. _This is me, Me, Myself and Time, Different Summers, _and most recently _It's not too late. _Not to late for what? I wondered.

I changed into a pair of jeans and a thick jumper. It might be summer here but it was still cold to me. As I was leaving the room I grabbed the little yellow book, sliding it into the huge pocket on the front of my jumper.

"Finally," Jason said. He was spooning that mush they call baby food into Luke's mouth. "We thoug you were never coming," he caught Mum's eye and something seemed to pass between them. "When you get back I'm taking you out."

"Where?" I asked, curious.

"To see some... Old friends..." I remembered the phone call.

"We're picking up Nate and Caitlyn from the airport, aren't we?"

"How did you know that?" I laughed.

"You were on the phone to Nate when I woke up this morning."

"Oh... Well yes, Nate, Caity and Millie are coming to visit. Millie is really excited to see you, as I understand." Chloe emerged from her room, smoothing her hair.

"You know I haven't seen Millie for three years, she probably won't even recognise me," she told us.

"But I thought Jason went to visit a few months ago," I said, confused.

"I did, but Chloe stayed here to look after Luke."

"Oh," I was cut off as my Mum came out of our room, she must have gone in without me noticing.

"Ready to go shopping?" Chloe asked. Mum laughed.

"Calm down Chloe. We're just going shopping, no biggie."

"Whatever," she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the door.

"Bye Jason," Mum said as she followed us out of the apartment.

"Bye honey, I've got your credit card!" Chloe called as the door swung shut. I laughed.

It took us about twenty minutes to navigate our way into town on the bus. Chloe never stopped bubbling the whole way and Mum joined her. They were talking about every other time they had been shopping together so I pulled out the little yellow song book and hummed the tune to 'This is me' under my breath. It was a really catchy song.

In the middle, it stopped. There was music but no lyrics. I wondered why Mum had skipped that verse but didn't bother to ask. The bus came to our stop and almost everyone climbed off. Mum and Chloe walked on either side of me.

"Breakfast," Chloe announced loudly. A few people turned to look and we were laughing as we walked into the little cafe Chloe swore sold the best breakfast in England. She ordered us all a full breakfast and then pranced over to the sofas by the window. I began to wonder if she should be in a mental home.

"She's not crazy," Mum told me. Could she read minds now too? "This is the first time she's been shopping with me since I was pregnant with you and added to that, Caity's coming tonight."

"Where are they gunna stay?" I asked, sitting on the incredibly comfy sofa.

"They'll have to stay at a hotel," Chloe told me. "As much as I'd love to have Caity staying at my house, we don't have enough guest bedrooms."

By the time breakfast came it was half ten and by the time we were out of the cafe it was just past eleven. My Mum dragged us all to Primark first of all and we brought more clothes than I had owned all year. Shopping with my Mum was surprisingly fun. I decided it must be Chloe bringing out her wild side because she never once snapped at me for taking fourteen dresses into the changing rooms and when she saw the price of everything Chloe was buying us she didn't complain at all.

Who was this and what had she done with Mitchie Torres? She never took me shopping, she only brought me new clothes when I outgrew my old ones and she always payed for things if she thought they were too expensive. Chloe was doing her a lot of good, turning her back into a teenager for a few hours.

At lunchtime we were standing in the high street, holding the paper bags, when Chloe's phone rang. She answered it.

"Hello? Jason! Yeah, I remember her..." her eyes narrowed and my Mum gave her a quizzical look. "She what? Okay... I'll be there..." She listened for a few seconds and then hung up, turning back to face us. "I'm really sorry but Jason wants me to go and an old friend who's in town for a few days. Do you think you could go back to the apartment and watch Luke for half an hour?"

"Of course," my Mum said.

"I'll come back with you and meet Jason and then we've got to go straight away. I'm really sorry about cutting off the shopping trip!"

"It's okay," Mum said. "Katie, do you want to stay in town for a bit longer? I'll take your bags and you can have some money to spend," Did she want me out of the way for some reason or was she just being kind?

"Thanks Mum!" I handed her the four huge brown paper bags and before she could fine her purse Chloe pressed some money into my hand.

"Don't spend it all at once," she warned and then they both left.

"Call me if you need anything," Mum shouted over her shoulder.

For a while I just wandered around aimlessly, finally ending up in a coffee shop in the middle of the shopping centre.

"Mitchie?" The man behind the counter asked when I walked in. I frowned.

"No, I'm Katie. Mitchie's my Mum," the man, he looked to be in his late fifties, smiled.

"I'm Gary, your Mum used to work here," His name rang a bell and I though back, finally remembering my Mum mentioning her boss Gary.

"Mum told me about you, she said you were one of the kindest people here when she was pregnant, said you let her stop working and still have full pay," Gary laughed.

"Mitchie was my favourite member of staff. You look a lot like her with your hair black and curly. Do you always wear it like that?"

"It's natural," I told him. "My Mum's wasn't but mine is." I heard a pinted cough and turned around to see another customer. "One coffee please, Gary. I'll send my Mum in to see you sometime."

"It'll be nice to see her again," he handed me a coffee but as I reached for my money he stopped me. "On the house Katie. Your Mum and her friend brought enough coffees when they used to come here," I grinned.

"Thanks Gary, see you," I took the coffee and sat on a chair by the window, watching the busy shopping centre. The hundreds of people that hurried past barely spared a glance for me. They ran forwards and backwards, not paying attention to their surroundings. I saw a baby drop its toy but the mother didn't notice and carried on, leaving the well loved toy to be kicked around.

There were so many shops in here, you could probably buy anything you wanted. Clothes, furniture, phones, games, accessories, food, jewellery, shoes, I losy count of the amount of coffee shops in sight.

As I sipped the last of my coffee I could have sworn I saw Jason and Chloe walk passed, probably on their way to see this friend. I waved goodbye to Gary and then discreetly followed Jason's distant curls. I knew it was rude but I was curious and I had been dumped here.

They met another blonde outside the shopping centre. Chloe refused the hug she offered and seemed angry. The girl led them along the street to Starbucks and said something that made all three of them laugh.

I paused outside the front of the cafe, which was fortunately made of glass, and watched as the unknown blonde had a quick conversation with a hooded man sitting at one of the tables. Jason and Chloe came over and I bent down, pretending to do up a nonexistant shoelace. The man at the table pulled his hood down and removed his sunglasses and I gasped.

It was Shane Grey. Jason's brother. Sitting less than ten feet away from me. I still thought he was a jerk but he _was _Shane Grey.

Don't get me wrong, I don't have a stupid celebrity crush on him, I was just a bit star struck. Jason and Nate were like uncles to me, I rarely noticed they were famous. But he was Shane Grey, the only member of Connect 3 who still released new music.

Jason obviously wasn't expecting to see his brother because his whole body went tense and Shane spoke quickly. Chloe barely seemed to be paying attention as Jason frowned. The other blonde girl spoke up and Jason's expression softened. Chloe whispered something in his ear but then my view was blocked by a group of girls.

"It's Shane Grey!" one of them shouted.

"Oh my god!" I left quickly as more people ran over. I wasn't going to get caught spying on Jason and Chloe. I ran to the end of the street and turned left, finally slowing to a walk.

I was by the edge of a huge park full of little kids. I ignored them and walked along the edge of it. I had only walked about a hundred metres when I heard a voice behind me.

"Mitchie?" Why did people keep confusing me with my Mum? I ignored the voice and carried on walking. "Mitch!" the voice said again. I pretended I hadn't heard it until a hand landed on my shoulder and spun me around.

Standing behind me was Shane Grey. Shane. Grey. And he thought I was my Mum. Did he even know my Mum?

"I'm not Mitchie!" I told him sharply.

"I can see that," Did he look upset that I wasn't a woman he didn't know? "But you look like her. Are you related to her?" I rolled my eyes.

"How do you even know my Mum?"

"Your Mum?" Was he deaf as well as a jerk?

"Yes, my Mum. Jason and Nate said you'd never met her,"

"You know Nate and Jase?" Wow, he was slow.

"Yes, I know Nate and Jase. They're like uncles to me, now explain how you know my Mum." Shane sighed and looked around. Nobody had seen him but he shrugged his hood up anyway.

"What's your name?" I didn't want to tell him so I gave the first name that came into my head.

"Rebecca Torres," Shane looked like I had just cut out his heart. I didn't know why but it felt good to know that he had been hurt. It served him right for being so stuck up.

"Rebecca, do you know Katie?"

"Maybe..." how did he know my name?

"Does Katie ever... Ask about her Dad?"

"Not very often," it was true, it only bothered me when I saw perfect families like Jason and Chloe's. Shane sighed.

"Look, I've got to go but-" his eyes flickered down and I looked to see the yellow song book sticking out of my pocket. "Is that Mitchie's song book?"

"So what if it is? How do you even know her?" Shane didn't speak.

"Can you tell Jason I'm coming over tonight?"

"Um... Sure?" I said uncertainly. Shane gave a sad smile and walked off. I frowned to myself. For somebody so jerky, he seemed really serious. Not sure what else to do, I pulled out my phone and called Jason.

"Hello?" he answered on the first ring, almost like he had been waiting for a call.

"Jase, it's Katie. I just met your brother,"

"What?"

"You know, Shane..."

"Yeah, he doesn't know who you are does he?"

"Well at first he thought I was Mitchie but then I told him she was my Mum and he asked what my name was so I told him it was Rebecca." I heard Jason let out a long breath. What did everyone have against me meeting Shane?

"That's good," he muttered to himself.

"Oh, he said to tell you he's coming over tonight,"

"That's not so good. What time?"

"Um... He didn't say..."

"Katie, where are you?"

"By some park."

"Can you get back into town? Meet me outside West Quay and I'll take you home,"

"Okay, I will,"

"See you in a minute," I heard him say something to Chloe before he hung up. I just shook my head as I started back into town.

Why was everyone so worried about me meeting Shane Grey? How did he know my name and why was he bothered about my Mum? More importantly, how did he know my Mum since she swore they had never met?

**There we are I didn't realize it was quite this long and I never thought I'd say this but yay for long car journeys! Tell me what you think! **

**Chapter 6 is in progress and might be up tomorrow if I'm allowed on the computer… Also sorry for any mistakes in the song it was form memory and I'm not sure if it's quite right!**

**~Spwarkle**


	6. A guest

**Hiiiiiiii! I think I'm high on orange juice... Yeah that must be it because it's all I've had to drink in the last hour. This was written on my phone again so sorry for mistakes! But be grateful I managed to post it!**

**This chapter is dedicated to my Number 1 fan Xthereal-meX who has reviwed every chapter of every one of my stories!**

**Mitchie's POV**

I sat on the sofa, watching the miraculous view of Southampton at night. The stars and moon shone but none of the light helped the city look more beautiful. Everything was dark naturally but the lights of the city made indesipherable patterns all over the horizon.

Somewhere out there was a smart black audi being driven by Jason and holding Chloe and Katie. They had all gone to pick up Nate and Caity, whos flight had been delayed by two hours. I had opted to stay behind so that everyone could fit in the seven seater car. Luke had gone with his parents because Chloe didn't think it was fair to leave me alone with him.

They had been gone about an hour and I had been thinking. Jason had admitted that they had met Shane in Starbucks. Apparently nothing had happened because some fans had interuppted but now Jason knew the truth too. I still didn't know what to do though. Shane was in town, Shane was here. He didn't know I was, yet, and I hoped it would stay that way. He was no idiot; he knew that if I was here Katie would be too.

Katie... Why hadn't I ever noticed she could sing? I supposed it was because she never sang in front of me, I couldn't remember ever hearing her sing before. When Jason told us he could hear somebody singing my song, I didn't think he was serious but then we looked into my room and there was Katie playing _Who will I be? _on a keyboard. I knew she could play the piano, her music teacher had made a point of telling me but her voice... How had she hidden that from me?

I began to feel cold so I turned up the heating and boiled the kettle. When it was done, I made myself a cup of tea and curled up on the sofa with it, allowing the TV to babble on in the background. The city grew gradually darker outside the glass window and I finished my drink.

I was just washing up the mug in the sink when the doorbell rang. Who would come to visit Jase and Chloe at, I checked my watch, nine at night? It was probably Lily and Hattie coming for a party.

I opened the door thinking about Shane again and it took me a second to recognise the man standing there.

Shane obviously hadn't expected me to be here either, judging by his expression.

My first response was to attempt to slam the door shut but Shane beat me to it, jamming his foot between the door and the frame.

"Mitchie, please give me ten seconds to explain,"

"Shane I-"

"Please Mitch!" If he'd give _me_ ten seconds to explain I would have told him why he didn't need to bother.

"Shane I already know!" I said quickly, opening the door very slightly.

"You what?" he pushed the door open all the way and I didn't attempt to fight it, knowing that I could never over power him.

"When I was out last night I... ran into Tess and she told me..."

"_Tess _told you? As in Tess Tyler?"

"Yeah... Look, I'm sorry Shane! I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance to explain yourself but... I honestly didn't know what to do! You and Tess were just there, kissing and I didn't think, it just ran... I'm sorry!" Shane frowned and didn't speak as he walked slowly inside, allowing the door to swing shut.

"Mitch, I know your married now but-" _Married?_

"Shane I'm not married," when I said his name, a fire seemed to burn through him. "We never got divorced, remember?"

"Yeah, I met your daughter Rebecca-"

"Rebecca?" I shook my head very slowly, looking anywhere but at Shane's face. I hadn't met his eye yet. "I don't have a daughter called Rebecca, Shane." I took a deep breath and looked out of the window. "Shane I only have one child!" He snapped his head around and I just managed to avoid his gaze.

"But... She told me you were her Mum and that she was called Rebecca and..." Somehow, he was standing right in front of me.I wanted to cringe from the closeness after all these years yet it felt so right...

"Needless to say, Katie inherited your acting skills not mine." I struggled to keep my voice from cracking under the strain.

"That was Katie? As in..."

"Yes, it was Katie..."

"But why would she lie, pretend she was someone else?"

"I don't know but I have to tell you... She doesn't know who you are... Well she does, but she doesn't know you're her father..."

"I guessed," I couldn't resist it any longer, my eyes snapped up to his face and met his. As soon as I saw them I wanted to cry, to break down and tell Shane how much I wanted him back but I resisted. Just. I still couldn't help but stare into the chocolate pools and lose my heart again.

"What are we doing Shane?" I asked him quietly. "We haven't seen each other for fifteen years... What are we supposed to do now?"

"I don't know," he replied just as softly. "Can you just tell me one thing?"

"What?"

"Do you still... You know... Love me?" I didn't know what to say. Of course I still loved him but after being such an idiot and ruining our relationship, why would he still love me?

I just nodded meekly, still without the strength to look away from him. Something flashed in his eyes but before I could identify it it was gone.

"Than I guess that answers your question," his breath tickled my neck, making the hairs stand on end.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I didn't think he had heard. "What do-?" I tried slightly louder. Shane pressed his finger against my lip and I shuddered at the contact, a happy shudder.

"It answers your question about what we do now," His finger disappeared from my lips, replaced very soon by his own lips.

I gave a small gasp of pleasure and next thing I knew I was kissing him back, my spirit was soaring. Shane was kissing me! He still loved me! And he forgave me for not listening to a valid explanation.

Shane snaked his hands around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I gave a small moan of pleasure and fisted my hands in his hair. I felt him smile against my lips as his tongue tickled my bottom lip.

"Mitchie," he whispered, pulling away from me just far enough so that he could move his lips. His forehead rested against mine. "I love you," I smiled.

"I love you too pop star."

"It's rock star," he teased.

"Whatever, now shut up and kiss me," I pushed my lips back to his.

I'm not quite sure how we made to to the sofa, but we did. Shane was lying on top of me, still kissing me as his hands slipped up my top. I giggled and he helped me remove his top. My hands roamed up and down his chest and he gave a moan of pleasure as I pulled him closer towards me. Of course, nothing lasts forever and this ended far too soon.

It started with a small click. Then we became aware of laughing and talking but we ignored it as the noise abruptly stopped. There was only one thing that could bring us out of our trance.

"Mum, what the _hell _is going on?" Katie asked.

**I'm sorry, I know it's really short but chapter 7 is already finished, I'm just proof reading it, I might put it up tonight if I can. What was your favourite part of chapter 6? What's your favourite part of the story so far? BTW this chappy (again) was done on my phone so there will be multiple errors and such.**

**~Spwarkle**


	7. The truth hurts

**Hey everyone! Did you know that if you mix bicarbonate of soda, icing sugar and crystallized lemons together you get sherbet? You do! But you get like random sour lumps…**

**Big thanks to anybody who has subscribed to the story alert (the current 20) and to those people who have added it to their favourites (8 of you) but the biggest thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review! U currently have more reviews than alerts which makes me happy!**

**Carrying on… **

**Katie's POV**

We were waiting to pick up Nate, Caitlyn and Millie from the airport. Their flight had been delayed by an hour and we had spent that hour sitting around at the terminal drinking cheap tea. My mouth had frazzled from the first scolding cup and after that I hadn't noticed the heat.

Their flight had landed over an hour ago but they had been caught up in security. I know, usually when you get into the country they let you straight through. But no, today was the day they were being extra tight on security.

Jason had brought me some cheap pens and I was currently sitting on a backless bench scribbling down lyrics in my Mum's yellow book. Chloe was sitting next to me with a sleeping Luke in her arms. It was pitch black outside and I was shivering. The airport was a huge white building with reflective floors and I could have sworn they had forgotten to install heating.

Mum was at Jase and Chloe's house, alone. She would have come but there were only seven seats in the car so she had stayed behind. She was probably lazing around, drinking tea and chatting to her other friends on the phone. Lily, Hattie and Poppy seemed like really nice girls, they were crazy and hyper but they, like Chloe, had seemed to bring out my Mum's teenage self again. Anybody who could do that was instantly popular in my mind. Not many people could get her back to the girl she had once been.

It was kind of my fault she had become the hard working, serious woman she was. If she hadn't had me she wouldn't have been so stressed as a teenager but then again it wasn't my fault I had been conceived in the first place so nobody could really blame me entirely. She should have been more careful.

At the clock struck ten, I stopped scribbling lyrics. I hadn't written a song or even a verse, just lines that sounded nice and would work well in a song. They were just random lines. I began to think about the song book. Had my Mum had a lot to do with music when she was younger then? Some of the songs in here were really good. My favourite had to be _Brand New Day _because from a quick humming session, it seemed lively and catchy. If my Mum had written all of these by herself, she had serious talent and I wondered why she hadn't ever got anywhere. She knew two of the biggest music legends in the world and if Jason knew about her music then Nate probably did too, why was she still a single parent struggling to survive?

"Katie!" shouted a little girl. I snapped out of my thoughts to see a familiar little eight year old running towards me.

"Hey Millie!" I said, holding out my arms so that she could give me a hug.She ran straight at me, her brown curls bouncing around her face. Nate and Caitlyn walked up behind her. "How are you?" I asked my 'cousin'.

"Happy! I get to see you again! But I'm tired because Daddy wouldn't let me sleep on the airplane!" I laughed and picked her up. She was surprisingly light for an eight year old.

Almost immediately, Millie fell asleep, her arms draped loosely around my neck.

"Did she fall asleep on you?" Nate asked after he spotted his sleeping daughter. "Sorry, we didn't let her sleep because she'd have been up at four in the morning," he leant around Millie to give me a one armed hug.

"It's okay, I don't mind," I told him truthfully. "Millie's like a sister to me except I don't live with her," Nate laughed and then his arm was replaced by Caitlyn's.

"Hey Kate," Caitlyn is the only one who is allowed to call me 'Kate' partly because I'm named after her. "Where's your Mum?"

"She stayed at the aparment," Chloe answered for me. Caitlyn turned towards her and screamed as she saw her belly.

"You're pregnant! Again!" My two 'aunts' hugged each other. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's a surprise!" Chloe said with a laugh. "Now come on, you can come back to the apartment for a cup of tea."

"Thanks Chlo," They both dived towards their husbands and pulled them out of one of those deep conversations men always get involved in so easily. I followed the couples out into the night, Millie still sleeping on my shoulder and Luke snoozing in Chloe's arms.

The car had seven seats, just enough for us all. Jason and Nate sat in the front, Chloe, Caitlyn and Luke and the middle and Millie and I in the back. The adults babbled away the whole way home and I listened to Chloe and Caitlyn discreetly.

"Hows Mitch?" Caitlyn asked in a low voice. I pretended I wasn't listening.

"She's fine, considering."Considering what? I wanted to scream.

"Yeah... what happened this morning?" Chloe glanced around and I looked down at the phone in my hands so that nobody would know I was eavesdropping.

"Well Tess took us to Starbucks and you know who was there. He explained the same thing to us that Tess told us last night and then some fans caught us and we had to run. He went off and met-" she flicked her head backwards towards me and Caitlyn gasped.

"What happened?" she asked in a low voice.

"Nothing but he thought she was Mitch... Apparently she told him she was called Rebecca and then he told her to tell Jason that-" She swore. "Oh my god! Jason, hurry up and get us all home!" she shouted. "We left Mitchie home alone and remember who said they were visiting?" Jason looked thoughful for a second and then gasped in unison with Nate and Caitlyn. I felt my head snap backwards as the car accelerated.

What was going on? So what if Shane had said he was visiting, he obviously knew my Mum from somewhere but why did it matter? He was only visiting someone. There was something going on here that only I didn't understand and I didn't like it one bit.

The whole way home, one of the four adults was on their phones, trying desperately to call Mum. Even I was beginning to panic after the fifth time, why wasn't she answering? Jason swerved in and out of the various cars in our way, earning several horns and a lot of fingers. I tried to figure out why everyone was so against Shane and my family, what had he ever done to us?

Jason's erratic driving payed off in the end, we cut twenty minutes off of our journey. When we pulled into the carpark they all leapt out, frantically checking for something. I guessed they were looking for Shane's car but when they all relaxed I supposed it wasn't here. What was wrong with Shane meeting my Mum?

I gently woke up Millie and helped her stumble into the lift. She almost fell asleep on her feet and Nate gave me a grateful smile as he took control, hoisting the little girl into his arms. When the seven of us, Luke included, made it to the fourteenth floor, Jason sighed in relief.

"You know, I was worried Shane would appear and whisk away Chloe," he told us as he unlocked the door. We all laughed as we walked inside.

The laughter stopped abruptly when we saw what little we could in the dim room.

My Mum was lying on the sofa, her hair hanging over the arm. But the problem was, she wasn't alone. There was a guy lying on top of her, _making out _with her. A topless guy. As in, a guy making out with my Mum, who hadn't had a boyfriend in my entire life. Neither of them looked up as we entered.

I was the first one to recover, the first one to find the ability to speak.

"Mum, what the _hell _is going on?" I asked. The guy pulled away from her and I gasped. Strangely enough, nobody else seemed to find the fact that Mitchie Torres was making out with Shane Grey very odd at all. That was what I didn't get.

It was Shane Grey. My Mum was making out with a half naked _Shane Grey, _which nobody else seemed surprised by.And she said they'd never met. So much for trusting me with the truth.

Mum sat up very slowly, her cheeks bright red although something told me it wasn't from embarrassment. She bit her lip as she looked at me.

"Katie, I can explain," Shane's eyes flickered from Nate on my left to Jason on my right and Jason made a strange noise, almost like a stifled chuckle. There was _nothing _funny about this situation.

"Yeah, and you can start explaining why the hell you lied to me!" I told her. Tears sprang to my eyes, tears of anger. So either before or after she had been knocked up with me my Mum had had something going on with Shane. It was nice to know that everyone in my life seemed to have known but nobody had bothered to tell me.

"Katie, please, listen to me," I might have said yes but at that moment Shane wound his fingers around hers and she made no move to pull away. It looked perfectly natural and that got to me. Looks like Shane Grey and my Mum had been a couple. A couple that everyone else had known about.

"Why should I listen to you Mum? So that you can lie to me again? You've lied to me my whole life so why should I believe whatever lie you can come up with now?"

"Kate, listen to her," Caitlyn told me. I heard Luke stir but I didn't care.

"Why should I listen to _you_?" I spat at her, aiming the words at everyone in the room. "You all knew, all of you and nobody thought it was important for me to know that my Mum had something going on with Shane Grey!"

"That's one way of putting it," Shane said quietly. I spun around and glared at him.

"I don't know or care what you mean, Grey. Maybe if somebody had bothered to tell me the truth I might not have lied to you this morning but no, I don't know anything about my life, after all, what does it matter? I'm just a teenager!"

"Katie-" somebody said. I didn't bother to check who it was.

"Mummy what's going on?" Millie asked sleepily. "Why hasn't Uncle Shane got his tshirt on?"

"Oh look, someone else who knows more about my life than I do!" Somebody tried to speak but I cut over them. "Leave me alone," I screamed to the world in general and then ran into my Mum's room, slamming the door shut, bolting it and then collapsing against it.

Everyone had known. They all knew that she had lied to me my whole life. _I don't know Shane Grey _yet there she was snogging him, topless. God knows what we'd have seen if we'd arrived fifteen minutes later. Whether it had been going on long or not, none of the others had been surprised which meant they had all known.

My 'family' had lied to me. Shane knew who I was, when people started calling me Katie he didn't look confused. Did he know more about me than I did? It wouldn't surprise me if he did. Mum obviously trusted him more than she trusted me. I wondered what else they had lied about... Maybe nothing in my life was real.

I sat against the door for a long time. Outside, I heard Caitlyn persuading Millie to fall back asleep and then I heard Nate singing the little girl to sleep in the room next door. Looks like they were staying. Nate, Caitlyn and Millie, a happy little family with no secrets who completely trusted each other. I wished I was Millie, a lucky little girl who had a happy family. As well as that, she knew her family and she was young and sweet, innocent without the knowledge her whole life had been a lie.

What was going on between my Mum and Shane? Was it something serious or was there a very slim chance this was the first time they had met? No, nobody made out with that much heat on the first time. I wondered what Nate and Caitlyn would have said if they hadn't been here. I would probably be on the phone to them right now, trying to find somebody who understood. They were here and they knew before we caught them. Everybody knew, everyone except me.

After an immeasurable amount of time somebody knocked on the door. It was one, gentle knock.

"What do you want?" I asked without moving, ashamed of my trembling voice.

"Katie, your Mum wants to talk to you," Shane's voice said. I fought the urge to yank open the door and punch him with all of my strength.

"What so I can be fed more lies?" I snapped.

"Katie, there's something you should know,"

"What?" I spat. I heard a little sniff, like somebody was crying on the other side of the door.

"Katie, I really don't want to tell you this through a piece of wood," Mum's voice said. I considered for a moment and then stood up on shaking legs to unbolt the door. I took a deep breath and then cracked it open a few inches.

Mum was standing nearest me, her face tear stained. Shane was standing just behind her, his arms wrapped around her. At least he had his shirt on but seeing them so comfotable and close made me want to scream. I just managed to hold it in.

"What is it?" I asked her quietly.

"Katie..." she glanced up at Shane who nodded slightly with a solemn expression. "Katie, I know you're upset and I'm really sorry for lieing to you but I don't want to lie to you any more. I thought it was for the best but now I know it wasn't..."

"Mum what're you trying to say?" She turned away as a tear trickled down her cheek, burying her face in Shane's chest. Shane hugged her firmly for a few seconds and then looked back at me.

"Katie... Your Mum and I...Fifteen years ago we... Katie we're married," It took a second for that to sink in.

"Is this some sort of joke?" I asked numbly, my brain refusing to accept it. My Mum pulled away from his chest, wiping her eyes.

"Katie, Shane's telling the truth. He's... Katie there's no easy way to say this but...Oh god, I never thought I'd be telling you this but...Shane's your Dad."

Had my whole world stopped? It felt like it. There was no way, no way in hell that Shane Grey was my Dad. It wasn't physically possible for my brain to process it.

"That's not funny Mum," I told her in a shaking voice.

"It's true," she told me, sniffling. I didn't look at Shane, I couldn't.

"Mum-"

"Katie, think about it. You have dark brown eyes and black curly hair. You can sing really well and I'm married to Shane."

"Mum, you're not married!" I said, looking pointedly at her left hand.

"I was Katie, we never got divorced. I just misunderstood something and ran away before Shane could explain when you were only a few months old. You wouldn't remember."

"Mum!" I begged. Why couldn't this all be some sort of cruel trick?

Nate, Jason, Caitlyn and Chloe came up behind them

"Please tell me it's not true," I begged my 'aunts'. Well if Shane was my Dad, I guessed they were aunts without the apostrophes.

"Kate, it is true," Caitlyn told me. "Shane is your Dad," Chloe nodded seriously and I looked to my uncles for support. Neither of them shook their heads and I began to wonder if it might, possibly, be true.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" I asked them all. I still didn't want to accept it.

"I didn't want you to know, Katie," My Mum said, looking ashamed. "I didn't want you to know that your Dad was famous because I was worried it would affect you, or that you would tell somebody you thought you would trust and they would sell it to the paparazzi and Shane would find us. I thought he had been cheating on my but he hadn't,"

"How do you _think _somebody is cheating on you?" I questioned her.

"Well Tess Tyler attacked me," Shane said. I tried desperately not to think of him as Dad.

"Who attacked you?"  
"She's a blonde girl, slutty and evil, thinks she's better than everyone else." Caitlyn told me. The description rang a bell.

"That girl who took Jason and Chloe to see Sh- who was with you earlier?" I avoided saying his name.

"You saw that?" Jason asked. I blushed.

"You ran past me in the shopping centre and I was bored so I followed,"

"Oh,"

"But yeah, her. She attacked me and kissed me and Mitch arrived at the wrong time and misunderstood it all." I risked a glance at Shane but he was looking at my Mum.

So Shane Grey was my Dad. Nate and Jason were my real uncles and my whole life had been a lie for the past fifteen years. Everybody had lied about who I was, who my family was and even their own pasts all to prevent this day from ever happening. Everyone in my life had betrayed me.

Strange as it was, all I wanted to do was tell this Tess Tyler what I thought of her.

**Yeah, I know! It's short again! Shoot me! (Okay don't, I still have my whole life ahead of me) **

**This story is far from over and I promise I will try and get the next chapter of Triple Identification up soon but I'm really enjoying this!**

**Did I mention, I had three hours of sleep last night and in those three hours I had like a gazillion emails! Only two were from facebook and almost all of the others were people who had reviewed and added this to their alerts! It makes me so happy! **

**It might be a few days before chapter 8 come up I've only just started it… then again I might be kind and work faster on it… tell me if you want a shorter update ASAP or a slightly longer one in the next day or two…**

**~Spwarkle**


	8. Dinner surprises

**Guess what? It's my half birthday today! It really doesn't feel like it's been six months since my birthday but it has… this is my half birthday present to myself.**

**Hope you like it :p**

**Mitchie's POV**

"Mum do I have to do this?" Katie asked for the fifth time in ten minutes.

"Yes," I told her patiently. "Shane is your Dad and as much as you might not like it, you're going to have to get used to it."

"Mum, it's not ever going to happen. I've know who he is for two days now and I'm still not liking the idea any more than I did the first night!" Katie fidgeted uncomfortably in her dress and I sighed.

It had been two days since Shane had arrived, almost to the minute. After Katie had gone off to wash her hair, Shane had left. I had spent all of yesterday talking to him, outlining Katie's life so that he wasn't totally clueless and planning this meal. It was just for the three of us but Shane had booked a private room because the paparazzi had found out we were back together and were hounding us at every opportunity they got.

Now, as we waited for Shane in the apartment, there was a group of at least two dozen of the 'big guys with big cameras', as Shane called them, standing outside waiting for us to emerge. I had forced Katie to dress in something that wasn't jeans so she was wearing a turquoise dress Caitlyn had packed. It suited her and most of her friends would have loved to wear the designer Frock but not Katie. No, Katie would much prefer to wear jeans for a posh dinner than a dress.

There was a knock on the door and I opened it to reveal Shane, looking about as comfortable in his suit as Katie looked in her dress.

"Hey," he greeted me with a kiss and then turned to Katie who just sighed and walked out into the hallway.

"If I have to do this, at least don't make me wait around while my parents-" she winced at the word. "Go all lovey and disgusting." Shane took my hand and led us to the elevator. Katie followed in her Primark flats and designer dress and stood as close to the door as she could. When we reached the bottom of the building, nobody had broken the awkward silence.

Katie was about to stalk off but Shane grabbed her arm.

"Katie, there's got to be twenty paparazzi out there and as soon as they see you they're going to guess who you are." Katie pulled her arm out of his grip but there was a slightly alarmed look in her eyes. "It's totally up to you whether you want us to tell them all officially. They'll know because first of all you're with your Mother and me and secondly you look too much like us both to hide the fact you're our daughter. If you want to officially announce it then we can do it right now but if you'd rather we stayed quiet about it then we will."

"We might as well get it over with," Katie said. It was the longest thing I had ever heard her say to Shane without the attitude. She seemed nervous and I didn't blame her. Shane gave me a small smile and then we all stepped into reception together.

We emerged into the unusually warm evening to be faced with bright flashing lights And shouting reporters. There was even a TV camera trained on us.

"Shane!"

"Mitchie!"

"Shane, tell us about how you got back together with Mitchie!"

"Mitchie, how did you meet Shane?"

"Is that your daughter?" One particularly observant reporter asked. All of the others looked at him and then started shouting questions at Katie.

After a moment, Shane held up his hands for silence. I noticed a little red light on the camera which meant we were being filmed. Shane looked at the first reporter who had noticed the similarity between Katie and us.

"Yes, this is mine and Mitchie's daughter." A collective gasp ran through the press and the large crowd who had gathered behind them. "This is Katie Chloe-" he glanced at Katie and smiled. "Torres. Katie Chloe Torres." Katie looked grateful. Surprised but grateful all the same. "Katie is our only child and she is fifteen years old." A man from the TV studios ran up with a microphone and held it to Katie's face. She frowned.

"Katie, how hard has it been to stay in contact with your Dad all these years and not tell anybody?" Oh, trust the press to ask that question first. Katie looked bewildered and worried. She didn't know if we were telling the truth to the world or a made up story.

"She didn't know." I answered for her. The microphone was swung into my face. "Shane and I broke up when Katie was about four months old and I never told her who her father was. We came here to visit Shane's brother and things kind of spiraled from there," Katie nodded slightly.

"Shane have you-?" Shane cut the reporter off.

"My _family _and I have somewhere to be." he announced, pulling me through the crowd and to the limo. Katie followed close behind and climbed into the limo seconds after us, slamming the door shut behind her. The cameras continued to flash as we drove off.

"Katie are you okay?" I asked. She looked up and nodded.

"Just thinking, that's all." I smiled at her and Shane took out his phone, quickly texting somebody. My own phone went off seconds later and I pulled it out to see a new text from Shane.

_Do you think she's okay? _I squeezed his hand and nodded.

_She's just not used to it. She'll get over it eventually. _Shane read it before I pressed send and smiled.

"As long as I have you," he whispered into my hair. I grinned and rested my head on his shoulder. Katie rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

"Is that a TV?" She asked. Shane nodded.

"Yeah, the remote's by your chair." Katie found it and flicked on the TV. She was about to change the channel when a picture of the three of us flashed up. We all watched.

"Fifteen years ago, Shane Grey's wife him after accusations of cheating,"

"But today, Shane was seen with Mitchie Torres again and a fifteen year old girl who they claim is their daughter. Katie Chloe goes by her mother's maiden name and apparently knew nothing about her father until they ran into each other several days ago." The scene cut to the video from earlier_._

_"Yes, this is mine and Mitchie's daughter. This is Katie Chloe... Torres. Katie Chloe Torres." _Even on the short video you could see Katie's expression, which most people would take as scornful but I understood to be thankful.

"Yay, now the whole world knows me," Katie observed icily. I exchanged a glance with Shane who smiled softly.

"It was going to happen sooner or later Katie. They lose interest after a while. I mean, look at Mitch. They only became interested in her when she got offered a record deal."

"A record deal?" I had completely forgotten Katie didn't know, like I had forgotten that the world didn't know about Katie.

"Yeah, before I got pregnant I sang at one of the Connect 3 concerts and after they tracked me down again, the record company offered me an album. I was half way through it when I left."

"Great! Another thing you-"

"I never lied to you Katie." I told her sharply. "Not about that, anyway. I didn't tell you but I didn't lie about it either."

"Yeah, whatever." She looked out of the window and Shane smiled sadly at me.

"She'll get over it," he breathed. I nodded noncommittally and snuggled against his chest.

The rest of the journey passed in silence. I lay contently on Shane's chest, remembering the hundreds of times we had done this before. Shane wrapped his arms gently around me and hummed into my hair, placing the occasional kiss on my forehead.

Katie just stared angrily out of the window as the sun rapidly faded into black, covered by the thick black clouds that had drifted in from somewhere. The first drop of rain fell as the limo stopped.

"We're here," Shane told us. I glanced out of the window to see an unfamiliar restaurant. It was one of the most beautiful building fronts I had ever seen. The doors were alone bigger than my house.

Katie just stared in awe as the doorman hurried out to open the door. She stepped out onto the pavement and looked around. I followed her, not quite as shocked as she was. This wasn't the first time Shane had taken me out in a posh limo to a posh restaurant for a romantic evening. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so romantic but it was family bonding time.

"This place is fu-freaking huge!" Katie exclaimed, changing her mind at the last moment. I raised my eyebrows but didn't respond. Shane showed us into a large dining room full of rich families.

There must have been a hundred tables, each of them spotlessly clean and surrounded by comfortable looking chairs. The room was lit by several crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling holding candles. It was beautiful, perfect.

"I thought you said it was a private room," I said in a low voice.

"It's private in the fact that no paparazzi can see through the windows," he said. I was relieved we weren't going to be totally alone. Even Katie wouldn't kick up a huge fuss in a packed room.

The table was in the middle of the room and, just like all of the others, it was covered with a white tablecloth and carefully arranged flowers. Only two girls recognized us as we walked over with our heads down and they had the sense not to shout.

"Good evening Mr and Mrs Grey, I will be your server this evening," said a voice. I turned around and saw a slightly wild eyed girl who was repeatedly glancing at Shane.

"Good evening," I replied. Then I turned to Katie who had slouched in her seat and was scowling. "Katie what would you like to drink?" I asked her, narrowing my eyes until she sat up straight.

"A coke, please." she was still scowling but at least she had remembered her manners.

"A lemonade, thank you." Shane said as the girl turned to him.

"Make that two lemonades," I said with a gentle smile. The girl wrote it down with trembling hands and then scurried away.

"Starstruck much," Katie observed dryly. It was the first time she had said anything even resembling a joke in front of Shane and I took it as a good sign.

xOx

Dinner went smoothly. Katie actually answered some of Shane's questions, trying to be polite in public. The food was exquisite and it made me wonder why anybody wanted to eat anywhere else.

Then I remembered the price and figured out why.

"So did you enjoy dinner Katie?" Shane asked.

"Yeah, it was nice." Katie shrugged. Shane sighed.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," I told them. I wanted some time alone and I couldn't shake the feeling somebody was watching me. Maybe if I could leave this room for five minutes I could get rid of the odd feeling.

"Okay, see you in a bit," Shane kissed my nose and I giggled before heading into the main Reception.

"How can I help you?" asked a man behind the desk.

"I'm looking for the bathroom," I said. He nodded.

"Just to the left madam," he pointed up the wide corridor and I stepped down there. The bathroom door was close and I stepped inside. The longest wall was a solid mirror and I stood in front of it as I reapplied my lip gloss. The feeling of eyes on me had been left in the main restaurant.

I was in the bathroom for about ten minutes, straightening my black dress and massaging my sore feet. I wasn't used to the four inch heels that Chloe and Caitlyn had forced me to wear.

When my feet had stopped hurting and I looked respectable I left the bathrooms. Tonight was our family night and I was hoping that Katie and Shane could make some progress. Shane was willing to accept Katie's feeling for him, it couldn't be easy for her, but Katie was making it so difficult. She wouldn't give Shane a chance. Just because he seemed like a jerk in the news, they found out a fact of the truth and then stretched and manipulated it until Shane looked like a self centered idiot. I knew that wasn't the real Shane and so did everyone else who had the privilege of knowing him personally. It was only Katie that couldn't see that.

The whole world knew now though. In the few short months after Katie had been born we had managed to keep her a secret. It wasn't that we were ashamed but we didn't want our daughter's life to be ruined by the press following her from the day she was born. On the few occasions I was caught with a young baby we lied and told everyone it was my cousin. Now they knew the truth and Katie would have to spend the rest of her life being hounded by the paparazzi.

I slipped up behind Shane and covered his eyes with my hands.

"Guess who?" I said in a deep voice. Shane laughed and spun around, kissing me firmly on the lips.

"Oh, I guessed right," he said. "It would have been embarrassing if I'd been wrong!" I laughed and looked up.

"Where's Katie?" Shane frowned.

"I thought she was with you,"

"No, I went off on my own."

"She said she was going too and that she would come back with you."

"Shane, Katie never came into the bathroom."

"But she left here like… five minutes ago!" I swore and looked around.

"Please tell me this is a joke!"

"Mitch, she's not here."

"Oh my god! Shane, she's run away! God, what are we going to do? Shane, where could she be?"

"Shh, calm down." Shane said resting his hand on my shoulder. "First off, we're going to ask the staff to check in case she got lost or side tracked. Then, if that doesn't work we're going to call Jason and tell him to keep and eye out while Nate looks around for her."

"Shane, what if they can't find her?" I half shouted. How could he be so calm? AT my words, however, I saw pain flash in his eyes and realized that perhaps he wasn't as calm as he appeared. I started trembling.

Shane waved over a nearby waitress. When she saw my expression she doubled her speed.

"Yes sir, how my I-?"

"Our daughter is missing," Shane told her. "She left for the bathroom about five minutes ago but she never made it there. Could you please have some people look for her?"

"Of course sir!" The girl said, looking alarmed. She ran off, dodging around the various waiters. I pulled out my phone and dialed Jason's number, waiting impatiently as it rang.

"Jason!" I said before he could speak. "Katie's gone! She came to meet me in the bathroom and she never made it there. I need you to stay at the apartment and wait, see if she gets there!"

"Mitchie? What happened?"

"I don't know!" I screamed at him. "She just disappeared! Keep an eye out I'm sending Nate to look for her!" I hung up and dialed Nate's mobile number as Shane went to talk to a serious looking man in a suit. It answered on the first ring.

"Hello?" said a sweet voice.

"Millie?"

"Auntie Mitchie!"

"Millie sweetie is Daddy there?"  
"No but Mummy is,"

"Can you put her on please?"

"Mummy! It's auntie Mitchie!" I heard the phone change hands.

"Mitch?"

"Caitlyn!"

"I thought you were on your family night out!"

"We are, but Katie's run away!"

"What?"

"She came to meet me in the bathroom but she never got there and… Caity what am I going to do if I can't find her? What if she's gone missing? Cait! What if-?"

"Mitch! Calm down! Nate's just gone down to reception. I'll send him out to look for her as soon as he gets back, which should be any second."  
"Thank you Caity!"

"Mitch, just stay calm. She probably took a wrong turning or something!" I didn't reply I just hung up and ran over to where Shane was standing.

"Well?"

"She hasn't left the building, Mitch. This is Dave, he's the manager and he just spoke to the doorman. Katie never left the building through the front door."

"Is there a back door?" I asked the man. He nodded.

"But only the staff can use that door. It is unlikely that your daughter could have escaped through there without being caught, Mrs Grey!"

"I don't want unlikely, I want impossible!" I shouted. Several nearby people turned to stare and a girl came running over in the staff uniform. I noticed that pretty much every member of staff had disappeared, probably to look for Katie.

"Mr Wood! There's something you should see. Security checked the CCTV footage from the back corridor and they've found something." I felt my heart rate pick up.

"What is it?" I spat at her. Shane wound his arm tightly around my waist as we prepared ourselves for the worst.

"Mr and Mrs Grey, I'm very sorry," the girl said, looking at the floor. "But your daughter has been kidnapped!"

**Katie has been kidnapped. Who do you think kidnapped her? Is it somebody we already know or somebody we haven't met yet? I know but you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out… or possibly the one after that.**

**Tell me what you thought and if you're bored, add me on twitter. Link on my profile if you're interested.**

**~Spwarkle**


	9. Anna

**Sorry I didn't update sooner I've been away and I used up all of my internet access on my phone until the 31st.**

**Katie's POV**

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," Mum said. Shane kissed her nose and waved her off and that's when the torture began.

Obviously it wasn't enough that I had been forced to wear a dress and allow Chloe to make me over. No, now I was left alone with the enemy.

We sat in silence for several minutes, looking everywhere but at each other. Why did it have to be Shane Grey? If my Dad was anyone else I wouldn't have minded but it had to be Shane Grey. I had to admit, he hadn't been much of a jerk since I had met him but that didn't mean he wasn't acting.

"Katie?" he said, finally breaking the awkward silence. I looked at him but I didn't respond. "Look, I know all of this is new to you and everything, I know you never really expected me to be your Dad. I'm sorry you didn't know earlier but please try and see it from your Mum's point of view. She thought I was cheating on her. She didn't want her little girl to grow up in a world where her Dad was a world famous guy who didn't love her Mum. Just for her Katie, please try and see why you never knew." I knew he was right. My Mum hadn't told me because she didn't want to hurt me but it still hurt finding out the truth now. That my Dad was a world wide rock star was something I had never considered before.

I didn't know what to say after that little speech so I stood up.

"I'm going to the bathroom too," I told Shane. "I'll come back with Mum." He nodded and I hurried off in the direction Mum had gone.

I asked the boy behind reception where to go and he pointed me up a wide corridor. I saw the bathroom but a waiter came past with a trolley and I stood back against the wall to let him pass. As soon as my foot stepped into the shadow from under the wide staircase I had a bad feeling. Before I could move, I heard a sound from deeper in the shadows.

There was somebody there. I made to run forwards but something clamped over my mouth. A hand, a human hand. I failed to attract attention my screaming so I wriggled and struggled as I was pulled further backwards into the darkness. I tried desperately to escape but my captor was strong.

Something slid over my head, a thick, itchy bag of some sort. It immediatly went pitch black and I tried to scream but I was pulled backwards. I still had my bag hooked over my shoulder and as I felt somebody move to pull it off I slipped my hand inside and pulled out my phone, quickly sliding it down the top of my dress and praying that nobody called me.

Seconds later my hands were pulled behind my back and tied firmly with a long piece of string. My heart beat picked up.

What was going on? Was I being kidnapped? Why? What had I done? I tried to think of other reasons but my brain had shut down completely. I felt myself pulled backwards and screamed, stumbling. My captor carried on, dragging me along behind him or her.

After what seemed like an enernity but was probably only a minute or two, the cold night air started blowing around my bare legs. I tried to run but somebody grabbed my arm and pushed be backwards. I fell but landed on something That wasn't the ground.

"Get in there," growled a mans voice. I felt somebody pulling me backwards and then there was a loud bang which shook the ground.

A moment later I heard an engine start. A much gentler pair of hands began untying the rope around my wrists and as soon as they were free I pulled the irritating bag off of my head.

I was in a van, the back of a large van. I was sitting on a thin rug with a faded pattern which covered the floor. The little room was completely dark except for the torch held by the scared looking girl sat next to me.

"What the hell is this?" I asked her.

"Shh!" she said, looking towards the front of the van nervously.

"What's going on?" I hissed at her. She looked close to tears but I didn't really care. I had just been kidnapped for gods sake.

"My Dad kidnapped you," she said. "He's going to hold you prisoner until your Dad pays a ransom." My mouth dropped open.

"I've got to get out of here, run before it's too late!" I said, trying to stand up. The girl grabbed my hand and pulled me down again, frantically shaking her head.

"Don't! Please! Dad made me stay in here to make sure you don't escape but I could see you struggling so I let you go. Please don't get me into trouble!" I sank back down into a crouch, rubbing my sore wrists and trying to make sense of my situation.

"Did your Dad plan all of this today? People have only known who my Dad is for about an hour." The girl shook her head.

"My Dad's known for ages who you are. He said he was just waiting for the right time." I frowned. Who knew who I was? That narrowed down the possibilities.

"What's your name?" I asked the girl. She looked about my age but her trembling and wide eyes made her appear at first glance to be younger.

"Anna," she half whispered. I glanced at the torch in her hand.

"Your Dad doesn't know you have that does he?"

"No. It's my phone. There's a torch on it but my Dad doesn't even know I have a phone." I suddenly remembered my phone.

"Anna, if I could get us out of this, would you be okay with turning your Dad in?" she gave a shudder.

"He'd hit me, Katie. He hits me all the time and he'd do it again if I tried to give him away. How would you get us out anyway?" I reached down the top of my dress and pulled out the little phone.

"I'll call my Mum. Or the police." I paused. "I'd call my Dad but..."

"But what?" Anna asked.

"We don't exactly get on..."

"But you're Shane Grey's daughter! Your Dad is a music legend, you're so lucky. Doesn't he like you?"

"No, he loves me but I haven't given him a chance..." I realised what I had just said. I hadn't given Shane a chance to prove he was a good father, I hadn't allowed him to show me that he cared. If I got out of this perhaps I would consider giving him a .

"Katie it won't work," Anna told me as I scrolled through my contacts. "I'd help but if Dad catches us... I don't even know where we're going!"

I found Shane- I had deliberately not saved him as Dad- and pressed the green phone button.

It answered on the first ring.

"Katie, where are you?" Shane said hurriedly. He actually sounded concerned. I heard my Mum in the background.

"Listen, I've been kidnapped by some guy and he is evil and he beats his daughter and everything but I don't know where he's taking me. I managed to keep my phone on me just about but I have to go before he catches me. Can you trace the call of something? Please, I'm really scared!" I finally allowed my voice to break at the end and my breathing sped up. I heard Shane talking hurriedly.

"Katie, the police are with me right now. They say not to hang up, keep your phone hidden and turn the volume off but don't hang up. As soon as you stop moving we'll track the phone and we'll rescue you. I promise, nothing is going to happen. As for that daughter who he beats, we'll save her too."

"Thank you!" I said as a tear trickled down my cheek. Shane had called the police. He was trying to find me and he even had a plan. Maybe he was not as bad a Dad as I assumed. "I won't hang up but I have to go just in case."

"I'll see you soon Katie," Shane told me. I locked my phone without hanging up and slid it back down my dress, turning the volume off. If they could trace the call then I was saved. If it was that simple then I didn't need to worry at all.

"Anna, it's okay," I told the girl who was trembling next to me. I reached gently for her phone and shone the light indirectly at her. There was a huge purple bruise across her left cheek. "God, doesn't that hurt?" She nodded.

"It does but I'm used to it. He started getting drunk a few months ago and he's been doing it a lot since then."

"What about your Mum?"

"She died a few years ago. It's just my Dad, me and my baby brother Will now."

"Oh Anna… look, my Dad's going to trace the call once we stop and everything will be okay." She smiled nervously.

"They won't take Will away from me will they?"

"No, they won't. I promise you they won't." She smiled and tucked her mousy brown hair behind her ears as the van slowed.

"We're here!" she said in a terrified voice. I bit my lip as she reached for the string and the little bag. "I'm sorry Katie but if he thinks we've been talking…"

"It's fine, hurry up." I told her, holding my hands behind my back. She tied them firmly but not as tightly as before and then dropped the little bag over my head. As we sat in silence for a few seconds I began to panic. What if this man found my phone? Any man who would beat his own daughter must be pretty ruthless. If he thought I had been communicating with the outside world… I flinched as the door opened.

"Get out of there Anna," said a rough voice. I could see a slither of light through a hole in the bag but no detail other than something hurrying past it. The man must have a torch because it was dark outside now.

I felt somebody grab my wrist and I was pulled roughly out of the van. I landed on my side on the hard floor and my fall wasn't cushioned by the pebbles and stones that cut into my arm. There was a slam and then silence. I felt something hit my back.

"Get up," ordered the voice. I stood up on trembling legs, shaking. I didn't like this, it was dark, I was in an unknown place and I couldn't see. "Walk forwards until I tell you to stop." I stumbled along taking baby steps, desperate not to fall as my heart pounded away in my chest. After a few feet a gentle hand rested on my forearm and guided me forwards. "What are you doing Anna?"

"I don't want her to get hurt father. If she is in pain it will take more energy to look after her and she will make too much noise," The man grunted in agreement and Anna stopped me. "There's a step here, be careful." I lifted my foot carefully and found the step.

Anna guided me along a short hallway and up a set of creaking stairs. AT this point she let go of my arm.

"I'll be right back, don't move." She told me and I heard her retreating back down the stairs. A few distant murmurs and close footsteps later I fond myself able to see again. Not that there was much to see, it was pitch black, but I could just about make out Anna's face from a faint light. "I'm allowed to untie you and let you see so that you can climb the ladder," she explained. "There's a mattress up there and a jug or water and a cup and a torch." Anna started hyperventilating. "He's really angry about me doing this and I don't know if he'll let me up to see you. If he does I'll try and bring some food but I'm really sorry if he doesn't." The rope fell off my hands and I reached for the unsteady wooden ladder. "Please try and get some help. I'm really scared for Will. I haven't seen him and I don't know if he's even here. If something happens to him I don't know what I'll do…" Tears were trickling down her cheeks.

"Anna, calm down." I told her, trying to act as if I wasn't scared myself. "Everything will be fine. I promise you that Shane will save us. My dad loves me and if he thinks you're in danger he won't leave without you, or Will." Hey look at that. My Dad loves me… where did that even come from?

"Thanks Katie. I'm really sorry about this but if he thinks I'm helping you then…"

"Don't worry Anna," I told her, climbing up the ladder and wincing as it creaked loudly. "I promise you that I will not let you or Will get hurt."

"Thank you Katie," I flashed her a small smile before disappearing into the loft. As my eyes adjusted, I gasped. The attic looked like it had been left for several centuries without any human contact. There were thick cobwebs on the ceiling and something was scurrying around in the shadows behind me. Up against the edge of the roof was a flat mattress that looked as if it had had all of the stuffing pulled out of it. As promised, there was a jug of water and a plastic cup by the mattress but nothing else. I climbed inside and heard Anna whisper 'Good luck' before she pulled away the ladder. I peeked back down the hole. It was a good eight foot drop down onto the landing and it was dark down there. I wouldn't notice what I was landing on until I landed on it. Anna's father had obviously thought this out well.

As the fear finally took over, I crawled over to the mattress. My whole body was shaking and trembling as I sat on it and I resorted to hugging my knees to hold myself still. I was alone, totally alone with an unknown enemy and my only ally was a girl I had known for ten minutes max. At least I could be pretty confident that this shack, it was in too poor quality to qualify as a house, was still in Southampton. We hadn't driven for long enough to get anywhere else.

But it didn't solve the problem that I had been kidnapped for ransom. Whoever had done this knew who I was. Were they one of the few people my Mum had trusted with the truth or had they stumbled on it years ago and started to plan it? Whoever it was was certainly doing a good job of scaring me. If they were planning on asking for a ransom like Anna said, I hoped they would do it soon because I wasn't sure how long I would hold out.

I was dressed in a skimpy turquoise dress and cheap flat shoes. I didn't have a blanket and it was pitch black. Apparently there was a torch here somewhere but as I looked around for it all I could see were spiders. I guessed it had rolled into a corner somewhere but I was not sticking my hand into those cobwebs, not even for a light in the perpetual darkness.

I sat in the dark for a very long time, crouched on the sheet that was once a mattress with my arms wrapped around my legs. Chilling thoughts ran through my head… if they didn't receive a ransom, what would m kidnapper do to me? What would happen if they changed their minds and just wanted to get rid of me? What would I do if I got out of here and nobody wanted me because I just posed a threat? I shivered at each thought as the ideas grew less likely and more frightening. All I noticed was the frightening. I wouldn't have said it was likely Shane Grey was my Dad but here he was.

After several hours, I remembered my phone. My Dad was on the other end of that phone line and it was all I had to go on. I crawled over to the hole and listened. I could here crying in the distance but no heavy footfalls so I guessed that my captor had scared Anna and the little boy Will and was now off somewhere else.

Very slowly, I pulled out my phone. It was still on the call and I turned up the volume with shaking hands. I didn't look at the screen, the dull light was already hurting my eyes without focusing on it.

"Hello?" I whispered into the phone. There was no reply. "Hello? Is anybody there?" I listened but nobody seemed to here. "Hello?" I asked slightly louder. There was still no response so I decided to push my luck. "Hello?" I said very quickly at a normal volume. I froze after then but there was no response from my surroundings or the other end of the phone.

Confused and slightly panicked, I pulled the phone away from my ear and forced my eyes to focus on the screen. As the blinding blur of colours slipped into sight I saw a little blue box. I read it three times before it sunk in.

_Call ended, Out of credit. Time: 5:00_

The call had been ended at five minutes. That was probably before we were halfway here.

My only hope, the one chance of escaping had failed and I threw my phone into the corner, curling up in a ball and sobbing. I was completely alone. Even the slim chance of being traced had failed. Now I was never going to be found unless Shane, my Dad, payed the no doubt large sum of money that my kidnapper wanted.

There wasn't any moisture in my body and I cried myself out soon. After I had managed to calm the tearless cries I lay on my side with my back to the entrance and despite my comfort deprived state soon fell asleep, the uneven floorboards sticking into my back.

**Wotcha think? There is a reason Katie has been kidnapped and I'll tell you that you already know the kidnapper. Who do you think it is?**

**Sorry, again, about the late update! Thank you to everyone who reviewed it makes me happy when I check my email and I have loads of reviews.**

**I'll try to update soon, Saturday evening at the latest. I'm back home now and I have a computer to work with instead of a tiny little phone so it should be faster. Who do you think kidnapped Katie?**

**~Spwarkle**


	10. Exploration

**I'm not sure about all of you but here it's still Saturday so I'm on time. It might be late at night but it is Saturday still!**

**Quick note:**

**This story now has more reviews that Mitchie's Unrevealed! Yay! This is chapter 10 and MU only had like 8 and an epilogue I think. This is way more fun to write! XD**

**Shane's POV**

Katie's been kidnapped... Katie's been kidnapped... Katie's been kidnapped... It was all I could think. Who had kidnapped her? Why? I had known my daughter all of three days and now she had been snatched away.

When I found out who 'Rebecca' was, to say I was surprised would be an understatement. I had been so close to her, I had had a conversation with Katie but I had no idea...

Then I turned up at Jason's expecting Jase to answer the door, ready to continue our conversation from that afternoon but I had never thought... It had never occurred to me that Mitchie would visit Jason still but then Chloe was one of her best friends. When Mitchie opened that door I almost fainted, not literally of course...

God, it took all of my strength not to attack her there and then, to kiss her with all my might. But Mitchie deserved to know the truth, she deserved to know what had happened. Turns out Tess had beaten me there.

So I was back with my beautiful wife. She had filled me in on our daughters life and I had met Katie. Katie was being stubborn but that was to be expected. How was she supposed to know that I wasn't the jerk the paparazzi made me out to be?

But now she was gone, taken by a stranger. As we watched the security footage, we saw her stand out of the way as a waiter wheeled a trolley passed. Then a hand shot out of the shadows and pulled her back out of sight. The police were already working to trace the plain white van that had shot out of the back alley a few minutes later.

They had found a little handbag outside the door and Mitchie said it was Katie's. We had searched through it quickly but there was no note either. Her phone wasn't there but Mitchie admitted she had forbidden her to bring it so it didn't surprise me.

Mitch was in a panic. She was watching and rewatching the CCTV footage, she was outside looking for clues with the police, she was on the phone to her family. Nate, Jason and Caitlyn were out looking for Katie. Chloe had offered to look after Millie so that there were more people out. I had just been told this by Jason when I had an intercepting call. I looked at the number and recognised it instantly as Katie's.

"Jase, she's calling me. I've got to answer." I didn't wait for his reply I simply switched calls. "Katie where are you?" I asked her hurriedly. Mitchie heard me say her name and ran in.

"Katie!" I held out my hand and Mitchie wound her fingers around mine, listening carefully.

"Listen, I've been kidnapped by some guy and he is evil and he beats his daughter and everything but I don't know where he's taking me. I managed to keep my phone on me just about but I have to go before he catches me. Can you trace the call of something? Please, I'm really scared!" As she admitted she was scared, her voice broke and she sounded as if she was about to cry. The police strode over and I quickly outlined the situation. Detective Inspector Morris nodded gravely.

"As long as she doesn't hang up we should be able to trace the call," he told me.I spoke to Katie again.

"Katie, the police are with me right now. They say not to hang up, keep your phone hidden and turn the volume off but don't hang up. As soon as you stop moving we'll track the phone and we'll rescue you. I promise, nothing is going to happen. As for that daughter who he beats, we'll save her too." That poor girl, I'd adopt her if I had to. Not that I particularly wanted to but if it would get her away from a father who beat her, I wouldn't have to think twice.

"Thank you," Katie said. Was she crying? "I won't hang up but I have to go just in case."

"I'll see you soon Katie," I told her. There were a few quiet clicks but I could still hear so I didn't worry. I placed my phone carefully on a table and then turned to my wife, it felt good to think of her that way again, and held out my arms.

Mitchie hugged me tightly, finally allowing the tears through. It had been little more than ten minutes since we discovered what had happened but Mitchie had been running around frantically the whole time, trying to find out everything that was going on. I fought not to cry with her, that wouldn't help at all. Instead I gently rubbed her back, whispering quietly to her.

"I'm so scared Shane," she whispered into my chest. "What if we never see her again? What if something awful happens? What if-?"

"Mitchie stop worrying," I told her. "It will be fine. They'll just want a ransom or something and believe me; I'll pay anything to get my family back together again." Mitchie blinked, trying to dispel the tears.

"I'm sorry she's so mean to you," she told me. "She just doesn't know how else to react. She'll come around eventually." I smiled and returned to massaging her back.

"I know, love. I don't mind." Mitchie sniffled and looked me full in the eyes. I smiled softly at her. "She's a teenage girl, she was never going to just go 'Okay,' and get over it and I knew that. Katie might not like it at the moment but she is my daughter and I'm sure she'll accept me in time." Mitchie gave a sad laugh.

"Not if we don't get her back she won't." She said in a low voice. I thought I had misheard her for a second but then sighed and kissed her forehead.

"We will get her back Mitch. We'll trace her phone and have her back by the morning." At that second my phone beeped and the screen lit up. I snapped my head towards it.

_Call ended, _the screen read.

"No!" Mitchie shouted, obviously seeing it too. The few people still left in the restaurant looked over, not discreetly anymore, as she dived for the phone. "No! Shane! She's gone!" Mitchie began to break down again, her whole body shaking. I held her to my chest with one arm and gently removed the phone from her hand. Had Katie hung up or had somebody else done it for her? I didn't think she would have hung up so her kidnapper must have done it. "Shane, it's all my fault!" she sobbed. "I never let her have credit until she runs out and she must have run out now!" Out of credit…

"Mitch, it isn't your fault! How were you supposed to know that this would happen?" She didn't calm down.

"Shane! What's going to happen now?" I looked at the police who had been standing silently by us all this time.

"Well?" I asked them pointedly. I knew they had heard what Mitchie had just asked me.

"The call can be traced to the last place it was connected," Morris told me. "But from there it will have to be guesswork." It was better than nothing.

xOx

An hour later, I was standing outside a library. Woolston library, according to the sign. The police had traced the call to here, about three miles away from the restaurant. After here we had no idea which way to go but I hadn't given up hope, yet. I never wanted to give up hoping on Katie, I was hoping that she would be back where she belonged by sunrise.

I wasn't alone. I was standing with Nate, Jason, Morris and several burly policemen. I had sent Mitchie back to Jason's so that she could calm down with her best friends for support. Hunting for Katie wouldn't have helped her at all. Jason and Nate had then come with me to give the girls some time alone.

It was half eleven at night and we were currently waiting for the police dogs to arrive. The police had collected everything that might possible hold the scent of the van, Katie or even the kidnapper and the dogs were going to be sent out to follow their noses. I was impatient for the dogs to arrive. We had traced the phone all this way, over the Itchen Bridge and into the far side of Southampton but the dogs still weren't here.

As the van finally appeared, my heart began to race. If these dogs couldn't find Katie then what else could? Short of searching every house in the country there was no way of locating her. I was pretty sure you couldn't track a phone that wasn't connected to a network so what else could we use to find her? I had only had my daughter back a few days I didn't want to lose her again.

The dogs went wild as they were let lose. They were all on leads but I was pretty sure I saw Nate and Jase flinch all the same. I might have done but I was so detached form feeling at the moment I barely noticed the rabid beasts. The dog trainers had a quick discussion with the police and then we were beckoned over.

"These dogs are trained to follow the scents they have been given," Morris explained. Did he think we were stupid or something? "We're going to see if the can trace the van for us. There was some sort of liquid on the ground that we believe to be coffee. The dogs will pick up on any trace of the coffee if, perhaps, the van ran over it." I nodded and Morris turned back to the trainers.

Ten minutes later and we were hurriedly walking down a wide road. Portsmouth Road was what all of the signs were saying which, had I not been so stressed, I might have laughed at. We were in Southampton and the road was named after Portsmouth? The road felt like it was miles long. We didn't even know if the dogs were following a trail or if they were just walking along. I wanted to break something, to take out my stress on something that would show a sign of damage. Only the fact that I had to find Katie held me back.

After a while the road sloped downhill. We came to a junction and the dogs suddenly started pulling in different directions. If we went straight on we went directly uphill but if we turned left we almost looped back on ourselves. There was a third road also but none of the dogs attempted to go that way.

"Now what?" I spat. The police frowned and one of them pointed to a small puddle on the floor.

"It's coffee," he told the rest of us. "Somebody spilled a coffee and then a bike rode through it." I walked closer and saw what he meant; there was a faded trail in the direction of the left hand road.

"So the van went on straight ahead?" I asked the police. Morris nodded, scratching his chin.

"The trail will probably fade soon. I'm surprised it's lasted this long to be honest. We need to go as far as we can and start searching from there." I tried not to think about what would happen if the trail ended too soon. We would probably be clueless.

We allowed the dogs to lead us up the hill, past a couple of grotty houses. They all soon began following the same trail again; noses to the ground and growls rumbling in their stomachs. The hill was steep and strained my legs as I hurried up it. Behind me, Nate and Jason were discussing in low voices but I didn't know or care what about.

There was another junction at the top of the hill and the dogs turned left. Almost immediately though, they stopped, sniffing the air and scratching the ground. A few of them pulled on but not for more than a few metres.

"So that's it?" I asked, looking around. There were multiple houses in my view line and it was dark. The van could have gone anywhere after here.

The Inspector nodded gravely at my comment.

"The trail obviously ends here, whatever trail the dogs were following runs out. The ones with the stronger sense of smell were able to follow it further but, as you can see, they still haven't progressed us any further except to confirm the van did indeed turn down here. From here we will have to rely on common sense, logic and luck."

"Great!" I said sarcastically. "I'm going for a walk." I announced. The police didn't move as I strode off but I heard Nate and Jase join me.

I walked in silence, my eyes darting around and taking in every detail. I saw the house numbers on my left, the low wall and gates on my right; the entrance to a park. I noticed every car on the drive way of the houses and noticed the two girls who were staring out of their bedroom window as I walked past. I didn't even look at them. They should probably be asleep, the fact that they had seen Shane Grey was no excuse to be awake.

Still I walked on, conscious of my brothers keeping up with me. We walked past the bright yellow fence, the entrance to a school that was, apparently, called 'Weston Park Junior School'. The gates were locked shut. I didn't want to stop walking, I didn't want to think. I wanted to carry on forever, never stop running.

"Shane?" Nate's voice drifted over my shoulder. I ignored it. "Shane, where are we going?"

"I don't know where_ I'm_ going," I said pointedly. "_I'm _walking to clear my head."

"Shane, you've got to get back to my place, the girls are waiting." Jason said. I shrugged.

"I'll go back once I've found Katie, you don't have to stay with me." I was still walking. The next streetlight had flickered out so I was temporarily invisible as I strode through the darkness.

"Shane, you won't find her," Nate said softly. I bunched up my fists but he hurried on. "That's the police's job. They've got experience at this, they're better at finding missing people."

"Yeah, but that person isn't usually Katie." I reminded them. "I don't usually know the person who's missing but this time I do."

"Shane," Jason jumped in front of me and forced me to stop walking. "Shane, you're going to get lost, or hurt, or mobbed. I'm sure Katie's fine. You're not the only worried one. Katie meant a lot to us all, we all want the police to hurry up."

"Katie is my _daughter,_" I said stiffly, praying that the tears building up in my eyes didn't spill over. "I've known her all of three days; you two have known her for her whole life. I want to find her before it's too late, preferably before there's a ransom asked for."

"Shane, man, we'll find her in time." Nate said as I scratched my eye to remove the tear that was threatening to trickle. "There won't be any fine asked for, we'll find her. We know the van came down this road. It was a plain white van with no number plate, how hard can it be?" I glanced to my left to avoid my brothers' eyes. Then I froze on the spot.

"Shane?" Jason asked tentatively. "Shane? Are you okay?" I nodded slowly; pointing to the white van parked less than five feet away from me. Nate and Jason looked too.

"The van…" Nate breathed. He was right; it was a white van with no number plate, on the right road. "Do you think it's a trick?" he asked.

"Only one way to find out." I said, smiling grimly. Could Katie really be this close? Might I have found my daughter because of my bad temper? I hoped so.

I marched passed the unmarked van, right up to the sheltered doorway. The door was in shadow but as my eyes adjusted to the change in light I saw that the dark blue paint was badly in need of a new coat. One of the glass panels to the left was covered with tape and the tiles underneath my feet were cracked.

Loudly and purposefully, I knocked on the door and waited apprehensively for an answer.

Could I have found Katie already or was it wishful thinking? If this was the right place, I was pretty sure I wouldn't just be able to take her. Would it resort to a fight? Should we have called Morris and his team before this?

Footsteps sounded from inside.

**Has Shane found Katie or is he just at a random house? There's a reason they could trace the van so easily, I'll explain it in a later chapter. But is it the right white van in the drive?**

**Feel sorry for me: I got my bottom brace fitted yesterday and I can't chew at the moment so I'm living on soup :(**

**Review and then add me on twitter, I have the same name ;)**

**~Spwarkle**


	11. Plan

**I know I'm really badly overdue for an update! I'm sorry! I've been ill for ages and then I realized I wasn't hungry even though I've barely been eating and that kind of scared me because I usually eat all of the time and since I haven't been eating at all I should be starving shouldn't I? Yeah, well anyway… I started to feel better so I dragged myself out of bed to write this for you. I could have done it on my phone but it wouldn't turn on and after about three hours I realized it was because it was flat and then the charger wouldn't work but that was because I forgot to turn it on at the wall… don't blame me, my brain doesn't function when I'm ill.**

**I **_**always **_**forget this so here we are:**

**DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Camp Rock, or the characters from the movie. I don't own any songs in my work unless I say so, which is unlikely, but I do own the plot… it's about all I can claim.**

"Shane? Shane _Grey_?" asked the girl who peeked out. "Oh My God! It is you!" she squealed and jumped up and down.

I looked at the girl carefully. She had blonde hair and a bruise across her cheek. The bruise caught my attention and I began to notice other things about her. Like the fact that her jeans only just reached her ankles and how her jumper had holes in the elbows. Her toes were poking out of the end of her cheap shoes. Could this possibly be the girl Mitchie had been talking about? I tried to remember her name from the distant chatter I had heard after Katie stopped talking to me.

"Anna?" I asked. She froze and her eyes went wide.

"How do you know my name?" I didn't respond I just stared at her. I could feel Nate and Jason behind me, wondering what I was doing. Anna trembled ever so slightly. "Do you want to talk to my... Father?" I shook my head, noting how terrified she looked.

"Anna who's at the door?" shouted another voice. Anna widened her eyes and I looked over her shoulder to see a man walking towards us. He looked quite a bit older than myself; his hair was greying and he wasn't too skinny. His face wrinkled into a smile when he saw us but it didn't reach his stone cold eyes; which remained grey and emotionless. "You're that singer my Anna is so obsessed with aren't you!" He clapped his hand on Anna's shoulder and I noticed her wince at the contact. "How can I help you?" He seemed familiar but I couldn't quite place him.

"Shane Grey," I told him, holding out my hand politely. "Nice to meet you." He shook my hand firmly.

"Gary Matthews. I knew your wife once." He knew Mitchie? I tried to remember her mentioning a Gary and it finally came back to me. Gary had been her boss when she worked at the little coffee shop in town, the kind man who had offered to let her go on maternity leave but still receive full pay. We must have followed the wrong van because the Gary that Mitchie knew was a kind man, he would never kidnap anyone. He probably provided the restaurant with something from his coffee shop.

"I know," I improvised smoothly. "That's why we came here. We looked up your address and I thought we'd pay you a visit so I could thank you for being so kind to Mitch all those years ago." He smiled but again it didn't reach his eyes and I couldn't help but suspect something was wrong.

"Yeah, Chloe always said you were kind to her." Jason put in. "So Shane said he would come and thank you in person." Gary chuckled and there was a strange noise from upstairs.

"It's Will!" Anna sighed. "I guess he woke up again..." she disappeared up the dark staircase.

"Will is Anna's little brother," Gary told us. "He's just turned two and he's my second child. The kids mother died when he was about a month old, in a car crash."

"I'm sorry." Nate said sincerely.

"Would you like to come in for a while?" I glanced ever so quickly at Nate who gave a discreet nod.

"Of course, we'd love to." I said and we stepped inside the house.

The smell overpowered me at once, the damp was almost unbearable. It took everything I had not to hold my nose. The lights were dim and only came from the room at the end of the hallway. The floorboards creaked as we stood, waiting for Gary to close the door.

"So do Mitchie and Chloe talk about me a lot?" Gary asked.

"Yeah, she is always telling me how kind you were to her." I said. My voice sounded loud in the eerily quiet house. I felt like I was standing in wait for a funeral, the house was completely silent.

Something wasn't right, I could feel it. There was no background noise, no radio from upstairs or TV blaring in the background. I knew it was past midnight but this family were obviously very wide awake, they didn't look like they had been woken up to answer the door.

"It's nice to finally meet you Gary." Jason was saying. "Chloe often takes me to your cafe but you're never there." Gary smiled and glanced up the stairs. Was he... Nervous? I frowned to myself as he led us into a small room that held a grubby sofa and a few battered books. This was the only room I had seen so far with a light.

"Tea?" Gary questioned. I threw my brothers a glance and they both nodded at him.

"We all take it with two sugars." I told Gary, hoping it would give us more time.

"Of course."

"Gary?" I called as he turned to leave. "Could you point me in the direction of the bathroom?" Gary nodded.

"Up the stairs, first door on your left."

"Thanks," I pretended I was standing up but as soon as he left I spun around.

"It's not right!" I whispered to my brothers. They looked as worried and confused as I felt. Would the kind and caring man that Mitch and Chloe knew really do this? "Did you see Anna? She looks like she hasn't had a bath or any new clothes in years and she had a purple bruise on her cheek!" Nate nodded seriously and Jason frowned.

"Are you going snooping upstairs?" I nodded. "Be careful Shane." I turned around and left the room, stumbling along the uneven hallway and up the stairs which creaked loudly.

As I stepped onto the landing I was met with a peculiar sighed. Anna was standing there, tears trickling down her cheeks and an odd assortment of items around her.

First of all there was a baby car seat which held a sleeping boy and hanging off of the handle was a baby bag which was open, revealing an assortment of baby essentials. Sitting by the little sleeping boy was a bag crammed with clothes. It wasn't a particularly big bag but it was packed as tightly as possible. Anna was also holding a pair of jeans and a black hoodie as she reached for a wooden ladder.

"What's going on?" I asked quietly, careful not to let Gary hear. She jumped and spun around looking frightened out of her skin.

"I'm running away."

"Running away?"

"Yeah. I'm sick of Dad. He beats me and forces me to look after Will alone." I frowned. Was he really that evil? He seemed like such a nice man. "I'm really not supposed to tell you this but Katie's up there," she gestured up to the ceiling and I looked through the open loft hatch. "Don't say anything." She warned me. "He'll hear you, but I've got a plan where we should all be able to escape safely. When you go back downstairs, I'm going to tell Katie the plan quickly and then I'm going to leave. Just go along with it and pretend we never had this conversation. Please can you call the police to arrest Dad because he doesn't deserve a normal life…" She wiped a tear of frustration out of her eye as a white shape moved in the darkness above.

"Anna?"

"Katie!" My heart flooded with relief.

"Dad?"

"Shh!"

Katie grinned at me.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"Rescuing you," I told her. "Anna here has a plan and we'll all be safe!" Katie grinned even wider.

"I'm sorry I hung up I ran out of credit and then I didn't know what to do and I started freaking out… how did you find me?"

"We traced your phone as far as possible and then we found a trail of coffee and it led us almost all the way here."

"Coffee?" Anna growled.

"Yeah, my Dad owns a coffee shop. You met him the other day; he used to be your Mum's boss…"

"Gary?" Katie frowned. "He seemed so nice!"

"Yeah well he's not. He was, years ago but then my Mum died and he couldn't afford to look after us any more. He had loads of money before but then when he didn't have my mum's income…He started getting violent and began planning how to get money. He knew about you so he thought he'd kidnap you and ask for a huge load of cash before he gave you back. It wasn't anything personal but he needs the money and he's so cruel these days he didn't think twice about a kidnap…" Anna sighed and looked down, discreetly wiping her eyes. Then she looked back up. "There was a flask of coffee in the van so I jammed it by the door, over the wheel, and opened it a tiny bit, hoping it would leak out and leave a trail." I smiled at her. She certainly was clever.

"It worked; we got right to the end of the road." She smiled sadly.

"Okay, no offence but can you leave before my dad starts to get suspicious? I'll make sure that Katie and Will and I get out safely."

"Thank you Anna." I smiled kindly at her as she reached for the wooden ladder again and Will stirred in his sleep.

I retreated hurriedly down the stairs before Gary could get suspicious but I couldn't stop smiling. Katie was safe, she wasn't harmed in any way I could see and Anna was getting her out of here. Anna seemed pretty smart; she wasn't afraid to leave the man who had made her life a living hell, she wasn't afraid to try and double cross him- the coffee thing was something I would never have thought of. We should have known we had the right house as soon as we saw Gary. The coffee gave it away because who else would have a van that smelt like a coffee shop?

I slipped back into the only habitable room in the house and smiled widely at Nate and Jason, giving them a thumbs up, but before I could elaborate, Gary appeared with the drinks.

"Did you find the bathroom?" he asked me. I nodded.

"Your directions were fine." He pulled out a spindly little table that rested on four legs so thin they could be considered twigs. As he placed down the tray he looked at me.

"Did you see Anna while you were there?" My heart rate picked up and I hoped he didn't have supersonic hearing.

"I didn't see her but I could hear somebody singing so I assume she was singing a lullaby to get your son to sleep?"

"That's Anna alright, always caring for little Will." He turned away and I wanted to punch him, tell him it was a good job that Anna cared for Will because he obviously didn't. But I remembered her plan and managed to sit still, fisting my hands behind my back.

I heard a creak in the hall and Gary snapped his head around.

"Anna?" Gary stood up and I exchanged a look with Nate. "Anna is that you? Stop playing stupid games." Even if I didn't know he beat her that sounded a little harsh. I took a deep breath.

"Gary?" He turned around and I saw two dark shapes move down the behind him. Anna and Katie were both carrying things. "Does it matter which Tea is which?" I improvised.

"No, they're all the same." There was a loud squeal from the hall and suddenly the sound of a baby crying penetrated the uncomfortable silence. Gary spun around as fast as he could and sprinted out into the hall. We followed close behind and saw the rapidly disappearing figures that were hurrying down the drive.

"No!" Gary growled, running forwards, apparently completely forgetting about us. I didn't even look at my brothers before Jason launched himself onto Gary's back, forcing the older man onto the floor. Nate yanked out his phone and dialed a number.

I was about to call the girls and tell them everything was fine when Gary managed to shove Jason off of his back. Jason fell to the floor in a startled heap, knocking his head on the wall.

"Jase!" Nate and I shouted in unison, diving for our older brother. Gary took this chance to run outside and I swore. The girls had both gone different ways… which one would he chase? I couldn't leave my brothers so I just hoped whoever Gary chose to follow was a fast runner…

"Morris?" Nate was saying into the phone. "Yeah, we've got a problem. We know who took her and everything we need to but the girls escaped and he just knocked Jason unconscious and has gone after them."

**There we are… sorry it's so short. I. am having a sudden craving for chocolate brioche and it's the first thing I've wanted to eat since Sunday so I'm going to upload this, eat some brioche and go back to bed… if you guys could hear my stomach grumbling…**

**Oh yeah! If you're writing an essay for school and you feel like winding up your teacher, use the word **_**Simples! **_**It's actually in a dictionary now! The Collins dictionary actually has the word **_**Simples **_**in it which means you can use it in work and blame the dictionary… I don't know what the definition is because I don't have a Collins dictionary that recent but just thought I'd say!**

**Night! (Kinda… it's half eleven... night for me!)**


	12. Safe house

**Hey I'm back again! I tried to get this done ASAP because I love you all! I woke up this morning and I had 5****2 reviews! That's more than I ever expected because I honestly never thought it would get that far! Thank you all and a virtual cookie to **_**ImABelieber **_**who was my 50****th**** reviewer. Everyone else gets a virtual hug for spending time reviewing! Thank you all so much! 51 reviews in 12 chapters!**

**Quick note: Me, Myself and Time is finally on Spotify! HAPPINESS! If you don't know what Spotify is, ****Google it and sign up because it is AMAZING and it's totally free and legal and everything! I'm also listening to On My Way from Brother Bear even though I hate the movie because it's a super awesome song!**

**As well as that a big 'Hi!' to **_**MrsDarcyElizabethBennet **_**who decided to use the best word in the world- **_**Simples!**_

**This is the longest chapter yet so smiles all around!**

**Katie's POV**

I didn't know what woke me up. I had been drifting in and out of consciousness for some time now but I had no idea how long it had been because my phone had gone flat. Without that I was stuck in a dark room without any light so I just slept. It wasn't that easy to be honest but I tried and I eventually managed to find a part of the floor that was relatively flat and fall into an uneasy sleep.

I knew I hadn't been asleep long when I was woken up. I immediately rolled over, expecting to see somebody in the attic with me but there was nobody there. I lay very still and listened. I could hear some sort of conversation going on so I crept towards the loft hatch to hear what was going on.

"Shane Grey, nice to meet you." I gasped. He was here? How had he found me?

"Gary Matthews, I knew your wife once." I frowned. Gary. Gary… the coffee shop owner! He had kidnapped me! What had I done to him? He had seemed like such a nice guy when I met him in town. If he wasn't so evil perhaps he could have made it as an actor. Or not.

"I know. That's why we came here. We looked up your address and I thought we'd pay you a visit so I could thank you for being so kind to Mitch all those years ago." So maybe they hadn't found me, perhaps they were just visiting him. I listened and then Jason spoke up.

"Yeah, Chloe always said you were kind to her. So Shane said he would come and thank you in person." I gave a loud strangled noise. They didn't know I was here; they were just paying a visit to an old friend. Was my Mum here or was it just the guys. I guessed Nate would be here even though Caitlyn had nothing to do with Gary.

"It's Will! I guess he woke up again…" Anna sounded so fragile. Her voice was so weak and when it mixed in with the voices of, so far, three grown men she sounded even younger. I heard footsteps on the creaking stairs and Anna melted out of the shadows.

"An-" I started but she put a finger to her lips. I frowned at her and she looked behind her nervously. The guys were still talking.

"We're getting out of here." She said. I could barely hear her from my spot several feet up. "I'm taking everything I need and getting you a disguise and then we're escaping." I grinned at her as she hurried through a creaking door. My Dad was downstairs and Anna was helping me to escape. Hopefully I could get out before Gary caught us.

I waited impatiently as Anna moved around in the room. I could hear her opening and closing drawers and I even heard her talking to Will when he woke up. Gary invited Dad in for Tea and I could just make out the silhouettes of Nate and Jason follow him in if I strained my eyes. They were all here but I guessed they didn't know I was… how could they possibly have followed us? They must just be visiting the traitor.

After a minute or so Anna appeared holding a bag full of clothes in one hand and a little baby boy in a car seat in the other. Little Will was fast asleep and my heart reached out to him. He was a thin little boy with shining blond hair and pale skin. He didn't look like he'd been fed for a week but at least he didn't have bruises and cuts like Anna did. There was a baby bag full of baby essentials hanging off of the car seat.

Anna placed the bags and Will on the floor, careful not to disturb him. I smiled sadly at her and she ducked back into the room and reappeared with a pair of jeans and a thick black jumper. She looked up at me and footsteps sounded on the stairs. I ducked back and crawled away from the hole as fast as I could. I didn't want Gary to see me communicating with his daughter.

"What's going on?" asked a low voice. It was too quiet for me to identify it.

"I'm running away." Anna stated.

"Running away?"

"Yeah. I'm sick of Dad. He beats me and forces me to look after Will alone. I'm really not supposed to tell you this but Katie's up there, don't say anything." I crawled slowly forwards and but kept my head back. It could be a trick. "He'll hear you, but I've got a plan where we should all be able to escape safely. When you go back downstairs, I'm going to tell Katie the plan quickly and then I'm going to leave. Just go along with it and pretend we never had this conversation. Please can you call the police to arrest Dad because he doesn't deserve a normal life…" I gathered the courage to peek down and saw Anna wiping her eyes.

"Anna?"

"Katie!"

"Dad!" I almost shouted, remembering to lower my voice at the last second.

"Shh!" Anna warned us, obviously not satisfied with our 'quiet'. I didn't care, I just grinned at my Dad. He didn't look shocked to see me, just relieved which meant he had somehow known we would be here.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him in a whisper.

"Rescuing you." I smiled even wider. "Anna here had a plan and we'll all be safe."

"I'm sorry I hung up I ran out of credit and then I didn't know what to do and I started freaking out… how did you find me?" I managed to say all in one breath.

"We traced your phone as far as possible and then we found a trail of coffee and it led us almost all the way here."

"Coffee?" Just because Gary worked in a coffee shop didn't mean his van would smell of coffee. Maybe it wasn't Gary… maybe he was just faking it.

Anna physically growled before she answered.

"Yeah, my Dad owns a coffee shop. You met him the other day; he used to be your Mum's boss…"

"Gary? He seemed so nice!" I exclaimed, frowning. So it was the lovely coffee shop owner who had mistaken me for Mitchie.

"Yeah well he's not. He was, years ago but then my Mum died and he couldn't afford to look after us any more. He had loads of money before but then when he didn't have my mum's income…He started getting violent and began planning how to get money. He knew about you so he thought he'd kidnap you and ask for a huge load of cash before he gave you back. It wasn't anything personal but he needs the money and he's so cruel these days he didn't think twice about a kidnap…" Anna wiped the tear she had allowed to escape before she carried on. "There was a flask of coffee in the van so I jammed it by the door, over the wheel, and opened it a tiny bit, hoping it would leak out and leave a trail." Dad smiled at my new friend. I knew that if I was her I wouldn't have thought of that. I would probably have resorted to leaping out of the van and probably getting run over by accident or something.

"It worked; we got right to the end of the road." So they had traced us to the end of the road, somehow, and then got lucky I guessed.

"Okay, no offence but can you leave before my dad starts to get suspicious? I'll make sure that Katie and Will and I get out safely." Anna looked at me and I smiled gratefully at her.

"Thank you Anna." Dad said. I knew he meant it. He was really grateful to this girl for risking everything to help me out as well as saving herself at the same time.

Dad disappeared back downstairs and Anna pulled out the wooden ladder from a shadowy corner. She angled it towards the hole and I took the end to help her balance it.

"What's the plan?" I asked her quietly. She glanced at Will and then climbed up the ladder with the clothes.

"Okay, you're going to pull on the jeans and the jumper but you might have to keep your dress on because I couldn't find a spare top and I didn't have any other shoes so you'll have to keep them on." I nodded and took the clothes from her, standing up and sliding on the jeans under the dress, thankful that Caitlyn and Chloe had forced me to wear such a short one. Then I yanked the jumper over my head and sat back down. Anna nodded at me. The jeans were quite snug but the jumper was a bit bigger. Maybe it was one of Gary's because from what I had seen Anna would never own a jumper this big.

The jeans felt uncomfortable when I bent my legs but at least I wouldn't have to escape in a mini dress. I knew that if

"Right, now we're going to just run for it. Can you take the bag of clothes for me? Okay, well when we leave, you run to the left and keep following the street until you come to Scott Road. It's on your left so just run straight up it and when you get to the gate at the end turn left and follow that path straight on. I'll meet you at the other end of the path but I'll go a different way, okay?" I nodded slowly, taking it all in. Either she knew the area really well or she'd been planning this for a long time. Something told me it was a mix of both.

"So what happens if your Dad follows either of us?" Anna ignored my question for a moment, climbing quickly back down the ladder. I followed her and picked up the clothes bag she had asked me to carry.

"If Dad follows you," she told me quietly, picking up the battered old car seat that held her brother. "Just run to the nearest house and get inside." I smiled at her and squeezed her free hand.

"Good luck." I whispered as she took the first step down the stairs. "And thank you." Anna smiled and gave me a one armed hug.

"You know where you're going right?"

"Yup. Scott road, left through the gate at the end and meet you on the path." I recited confidently. Anna nodded.

We crept down the stairs as carefully as possible but Anna had the advantage of knowing which stairs creaked whereas I didn't. As I stepped on a stair about half way down there was a loud creak and I heard the distant conversation stop.

"Anna?" Gary called. Anna's eyes went wide and she hurried along faster as he called. "Anna is that you? Stop playing stupid games."

"Gary?" asked my Dad. "Does it matter which tea is which?" That was the worst improvisation ever but it worked.

"No they're all the same." Gary answered. Anna opened the door and it squeaked loudly. Will began to cry as we ran out the door and I heard Gary thundering along behind us.

"No," I growled but I didn't turn back to see what the unexpected thump was. I just ran as fast as I could up the drive, dodging around the white van and vaulting the low wall. It was the fastest way to escape.

I sprinted up the street with the bag I was carrying as fast as I could. The bag banged against my legs and on glancing down I realised it was a backpack. I slung it over my shoulder and continued on. I passed the entrance to a park and a huge building that was, according to the sign, a leisure centre. I only passed one car the entire time.

As I passed the leisure centre breathing started becoming painful and I realised the cheap shoes were rubbing my feet. I paused on a low wall and glanced in the direction I had just come from, hurriedly leaping up when I saw a figure running towards me. The man passed under a streetlight and I realised it was Gary so I sprinted off again, not bothering to stop when my shoes became loose. I flicked them off as I ran and finally saw a turning.

It was Scott Road. I would have breathed a sigh of relief if my lungs hadn't been so busy. My legs ached and the tight jeans weren't helping but I carried on. Something sharp stuck into my bare foot and I was forced to slow when I felt something hot and sticky come flowing out the sole of my foot. Gary was only a few hundred yards behind me so I turned right up the nearest road and limped as fast as I could to the first house with lights on. At least I could be sure there was somebody home.

I hurriedly opened the gate and hopped to the door, ringing the doorbell time and time again as Gary got closer and closer.

He appeared at the end of the drive and I gave up, simply throwing open the door and diving inside.

"I'm com-" said a voice, breaking off as I slammed the front door shut and turned the key in the lock. "What the hell are you doing in my house?"

I looked up as I sank back against the door, seeing a girl standing at the top of the stairs. She looked to be about thirteen and the look on her face was priceless. If I wasn't so panicked and out of breath I would have laughed.

Her hair was half straightened and the other half was still damp which made me think she was using her straighteners to dry it. Under her right eye there was a little black smudge like she hadn't taken off her mascara before showering and she was only wearing a dressing gown. The girl was so shocked, so bewildered as to why I was in her house, you could tell just from one look at her face. Her eyes were wide, yet narrowed as she looked at me and her mouth was hanging open.

"Who the hell are you? Why are you in my house?" she repeated. I took a few deep breaths and finally found the energy to speak.

"I can explain what I'm doing here but I need a phone." I knew she wasn't going to just hand me a phone so I carried on. "Are your parents home?"

The girl looked at me for a second and then seemed to loose her nerve. Her expression changed to one of alarm and she scurried backwards up the stairs and out of sight. I could hear her calling her Mum but I didn't listen. Instead, I pulled back the faded pink curtain covering the glass panel on the door and peeked through.

It was dark outside still but I couldn't see any human shapes. That didn't reassure me because it was easy enough for Gary to hide in the shadows or sit in wait at the end of the driveway. It was at this point I realised it must be about one in the morning and these people were still up. It wasn't really important but I caught sight of three pairs of high heeled shoes and what looked like a wedding invitation on the floor nearby and guessed they'd been out partying.

There were footsteps from the top of the stairs and I looked up to see a shocked woman. She looked completely confused as she walked down the stairs, never taking her eyes off of me. I could hear the young girl begging somebody to come and help from upstairs.

I was very careful not to move, not to alarm the woman and get thrown out or hurt. She stepped in front of me.

"Get out!" she growled, her hand disappearing under the stairs and coming out with a phone. "You have until three to leave or I'll call the police." I would actually be relieved to see the police right now but I couldn't find the energy to speak. My heart was still racing and my hands were sweaty as they held onto the handle of the clothes bag like it was the only thing holding me to life.

"One," the woman frowned at me. "Two," She reached for the phone to dial the number of the police and opened her mouth to say 'Three' when there was a shout from the top of the stairs.

"Oh My God! You're Katie Gray!" I snapped my head around and saw another girl about two years older than me leaping down the stairs two at a time. "You are, aren't you? You're Shane Gray's daughter!" I nodded weakly and the woman frowned.

"Shane Gray's daughter?"

"Y… yeah…" I said. The woman placed the phone down.

"If you're really Shane Gray's daughter, what are you doing here?" The youngest girl now crept down and stood behind her Mum as I tried to think of a simple way of explaining it. The oldest girl came to my rescue.

"Weren't you kidnapped? I was watching Hot Tunes just now and they said you'd gone missing!" I took a deep breath.

"I _was _kidnapped and I managed to escape but my kidnapper chased me so I dived in here before he could catch me." All three of them stared at me like I was crazy. "If it's not too much trouble could I please borrow your phone to call my Mum and let her know I'm okay?"

"You are really Shane Gray's daughter aren't you? You're not just playing a joke?" I shook my head at the woman's question.

"Please, I really need to call my Mum." She reached for the phone again and handed it to me with trembling hands. I took it thankfully and frowned. I couldn't remember any phone numbers. They were all on my phone, which was dead, and my brain wasn't functioning. I couldn't even remember the number my Mum had used for my whole life.

"Do you have a computer?" I asked the little family standing in front of me. "I can't remember anybody's number but I can get through to Dad's publicist through his website."

"Through here." The youngest girl said, showing me into a room to her left. Her eyes were wide again but not with fear this time, just awe and amazement.

I watched as the girl I assumed was her older sister overtook us and picked up a laptop, opening it up and typing quickly. Then, as I sat uncomfortable on the sofa, I was handed the laptop which was already open on the internet.

"Just go straight to wherever you want." She told me. Then both of them ran out of the room and I could hear them talking in low voices to their Mum.

I typed my Dad's name into Google and opened his website. I was no stranger to his website, I constantly visited it. I had never liked Shane Gray but I did like to keep up to date with his music. I found the number and typed it into the phone.

It rang four times until a tired voice answered.

"Hello, how can I help?" It sounded like one of the several people I knew were employed to make the fans happy.

"Hi, my name's Katie Chloe Tor- Gray. I'm Shane's daughter."

"This isn't funny kid." The man told me.

"No! It really is me! Honestly! I managed to escape from my kidnapper and I ran off. Dad was there but the kidnapper chased after me and I came to the first house I could for safety! I really need somebody to come and pick me up!" I heard the man talking hurriedly to somebody in the background.

"Katie, I'm putting you through to your Dad's phone. He should answer." I waited impatiently for the tiny click and then listened as there was more ringing.

"What is it? I swear to god, Jeremy, if this is about some kid who wants a signed t-shirt-"

"Dad! It's me!" He gasped.

"Katie! Where are you? What happened? I saw Gary chase after you but he knocked Jason unconscious and I had to stay there with Nate until the police arrived and then they called an ambulance and insisted I got checked over too. Are you okay?" I struggled to make sense of what he had just said.

"Yeah, I'm fine Dad. I ran to a random house and they've let me use their phone. I rang your public number and they put me through. Do you think you could arrange somebody to pick me up? Oh and I think Gary is lurking around outside so if they see him they've found me. Is Jason alright?"

"Jason will be fine. He's free to go as soon as he wakes up. Listen, we've picked up Anna and her baby brother Will, do you think she could tell us where you are?" I breathed a sigh of relief, Anna was safe at least.

"Yeah, Anna knows what street I'm on. If people come to pick me up, tell Anna to give them directions here and I turned down the first side road I saw. If Gary's standing outside a gate, they're at the right place." I heard background talking for a minute or two and then somebody spoke directly into the phone.

"Katie?"

"Mum!"

"Oh honey, I was so worried!" I smiled.

"I'm fine Mum, I'm completely fine."

"Good. Okay, listen. Your Dad and your uncles have just left with the police and should be arriving in a short while. Anna's with them to help with finding you and identifying Gary." She frowned. "I can't believe Gary did this! He was always so nice!"

"Yeah, I know. I met him when I was in town the other day, he thought I was you. He was so nice. Apparently he started beating Anna when his wife died two years ago." My Mum didn't speak for a while.

"Poor Anna…" she observed finally. "Little Will is here now. When the hospital heard what had happened they insisted on checking up on Anna and Will as well but they were both fine. Will was under-nourished but they've fed him and Anna was fine apart from that bruise."

"Mum, are you at the hospital too?"

"Yes. Your Dad called when they were on the way explaining what happened and Chloe drove the three of us over. She's in there with Jason now."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Katie, he's fine! He just hit his head but apart from that there's nothing wrong with him. As soon as he wakes up he'll be discharged."

"Good." I paused, smiling to the two girls peeking around the door. "Mum, I'm sorry I've been so bad tempered recently. I just… it wasn't ever something I thought was going to happen and… I'm sorry for being so mean to Dad."

"It's fine Katie. I never really thought you'd find out or I might have told you in advance. We all understand why you were so stressed and we forgive you. All that matters now is that you are safe."

"Thanks Mum, but I'm still not happy. I never gave Dad a chance to prove to me that he wasn't a jerk and I should have known that he was trustworthy because you _never _date guys." I heard her sigh. "Seriously though, I'll give him a chance from now on. But I need to go."

"Okay honey, I love you. I'll see you soon." I pressed the call button on the phone and it ended.

"Was that him?" asked the youngest girl, bouncing in to the room as soon as I was done. "Was that Shane Grey?" I smiled slightly.

"Yeah, that was Dad. He's coming to get me now with the police. My kidnapper is still lurking out there somewhere." I saw the girl frown but before I could comment a pain shot up my leg. I glanced down and saw the blood that was still oozing slowly out.

"Oh My Goodness!" exclaimed the woman, running in when she saw my foot. "What happened?" I bit my lip.

"I was running and my shoes came loose so I kicked them off and stood on a stone or a piece of glass or something." She looked down in absolute horror. I had completely forgotten about it until now. "It's nothing!" I exclaimed as she hurried away, only to reappear seconds later with a first aid kit. I opened my mouth to object but she cut me off.

"Don't you dare tell me it doesn't hurt because I don't believe you. Even if it doesn't hurt, if you leave it open it will get infected." I winced, that sounded painful. "Let me sort it out." She said. It wasn't a suggestion it was an order.

A she began cleaning the cut and wrapping it up, I started chatting to her daughters. I learnt that the younger girl was called Emily and she loved reading but never watched much TV which was why she hadn't recognised me. Her older sister, Louise, did watch TV a lot and mostly Hot Tunes. Louise was almost eighteen but I could tell she was still young at heart and loved listening to Connect 3 music despite the fact that Connect 3 hadn't released a new single in years.

The woman, Annabelle, was a single Mum who had looked after her daughters since their father died in the army when Emily was just a few months old. Annabelle worked two different jobs at one time so that she had enough money. Although they weren't rich and they didn't have many luxuries, this was one of the happiest families I had ever met. They all got on well and they were entirely honest.

Like I thought, they had been to a wedding and stayed until the very end of the reception at almost midnight before coming home to get ready for bed which was why they were still up. Emily had been sorting out her hair and Louise had just gone to bed when I arrived and now all of them had been disturbed by me which, however many times they told me not to worry, made me feel guilty.

About half an hour had passed when we saw two police cars drive up to the end of the drive. Louise was watching out of the window and called us all over when they arrived. We watched as a shadowy man leapt up from behind the gate and attempted to run, only to be confronted with three burly policemen and a snarling dog. Gary immediately surrendered and the police handcuffed him and dragged him into a car.

I looked to the other car and saw the door open. An all too familiar figure climbed out and walked quickly to the door. Shane was only half way down the drive when I burst out of the front door and threw my arms around him, hugging him.

"Dad, I am so sorry!" I said through the tears that were sliding down my face. I heard him chuckle as he hugged me back.

"No worries Katie. You're forgiven." I hugged him tighter and then pulled away to look up at him.

"Is everybody okay? How are Jason and Anna and Mum?"

"Everybody is fine Katie. Your Mum was panicked but now she's relaxed again. Jason just has to wake up and Anna is fine, I promise." I hugged him again, wondering how I had waited fifteen years for a father only to shun him and ignore him when I found him.

"I'm sorry Dad, I really am. Can we maybe go out for dinner again and I'll make it up to you?"

"Of course we can Katie."

I smiled because, for once, everything seemed to be okay.

**There we are- Chapter 12. I never thought it would get this far but it has and now I'm happy! It's not nearly over yet but I have a fantastic idea.**

**Thank you so much to **_**bOoKcRiTiC345 **_**for the amazing, fantabulous idea, I want to know what you all think. **_**bOoKcRiTiC345 **_**suggested I write a story about the four months that Shane and Mitchie were happily married at the beginning with their little baby girl. I'm going to do it regardless but tell me what you think of the idea and what you think should happen.**

**Thank you so much for all of your reviews, favourite, alerts and just views they mean so much to me!**

**~Spwarkle**


	13. ReConnect 3?

**What can I say? It's been ****over 2 weeks… how about this as an explanation? First of all I was working on updating T.I and posting the first two chapters of a new story as well as another one shot. Then, when I sat down to write this about week ago, I got a phone call to tell me my friend had been hit by a car on the way home from school. I kind of packed the first things I could lay hands on and went to visit her, persuading my Dad to lend me the laptop wasn't the most important thing. **

**She suffered neck damages and she came out of intensive care the day I left, she just returned home yesterday. Yesterday I found out my Uncle has cancer and probably doesn't have all that long to live so yeah, I'm not having the greatest few weeks :/**

**Mitchie's POV**

I couldn't sleep. For starters, it was far too light. It might be past midnight but the hospital was still very alive, nurses and doctors scampered passed me every few minutes. Then there was the fact that the chair I was curled up on was far too hard and uncomfortable to sleep on, however tired I might be. And I also knew I wouldn't be able to sleep until I knew my daughter was safe. She had spoken to me on the phone and Shane had left with the police almost an hour ago but so far nobody had called me to say everything was alright.

Caitlyn had insisted on going with Shane and Nate had insisted on going with Caitlyn. Chloe was still sitting in with Jason and Millie was fast asleep on the chairs in the play room with Luke in her arms. The nurses had told us they would keep an eye on them and call one of us if either one awoke because they understood how we all wanted to be in different places at the moment.

I waited impatiently for somebody, anybody, to arrive and tell me where my daughter was, but nobody came. It was almost one o'clock in the morning and I was drifting in and out of sleep. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Katie in the last few hours. She had been talking about Dad on the phone. Not Shane or my husband, _Dad. _Maybe she had just done some thinking and decided to give him a chance. Perhaps she had realised how lucky she was to have a Dad who loved her when she saw Anna and Gary.

I still couldn't believe Gary would sink so low. He had been like an uncle to me when I had lived here, he had tried to do what was best for me, even letting me off on maternity leave months and months early just because he was ridiculously kind. It had never occurred to me that he would know who Katie's father was, although I hadn't really thought about it. It wouldn't have bothered me if he did know. What did bother me was that he had kidnapped Katie just because he was struggling for money. Couldn't he have done something, no _anything_, a little more rational first?

I broke out of my thoughts when I heard somebody calling my name. I looked up to see Chloe waving desperately to me from the door to Jason's room.

"Mitch! Come on, he's awake!" I smiled widely and ran over, wincing when my muscles moved for the first time in an hour.

Jason was lying on his bed, grinning goofily like he would have when he was a teenager. He was wide awake and as far as I could see had no physical injury but he did look exhausted.

"Hey Jason!" I greeted him, kissing his cheek.

"Hi Mitch. Are Nate and Shane back yet?" I shook my head.

"They should be back any time but quit worrying about them. How are you?"

"I'm fine! I'm great! I'm perfect!" I laughed and smiled at Chloe as she took his hand in hers. "I don't even have a headache though I have a feeling I will do once the painkillers wear off." I laughed lightly.

"You look tired. How are you tired after you've been asleep for over an hour?"

"Being knocked out takes a lot out of you, I can't help it!" Jason defended himself. "I don't think you have any idea how tired I am," he continued, yawning. "I seriously don't think anybody has ever been this tired before." I raised my eyebrows at his wife and he frowned. "What, you think that you two have been more tired than me? What have you ever done to be this exhausted?"

"Let me think," Chloe said. "We've stayed out clubbing until the early hours and then worked a full day… then there's the fact that we've given birth to kids. Nothing beats giving birth."

"Maybe you're right about that… but I'm not sure."

"I tell you what Jase, when it's time for this baby to be born you can deliver it."

"But that's not even possible! You'd have to give birth to it first and then I couldn't give birth anyway!" I laughed, Jason might be older but he was still the teenage boy at heart.

"Jason? Are you okay?" asked a voice from the door. I snapped my head up and saw Caitlyn standing there. I leapt up.  
"She's just getting a check up." Caitlyn told me without even asking. I sprinted off and up the corridor to the room Anna had been checked in earlier. Sure enough, sitting on the bed as a nurse took her temperature was my daughter.

"Katie!" I almost shouted. Katie pushed the nurse away and ran to me, hugging me tightly. "Are you okay?" I couldn't stop the happy tears that rolled down my cheeks as I saw my daughter again. She hadn't been missing for more than a few hours but I felt like I hadn't seen her for years.

"I'm fine Mum. Don't cry, please!" I laughed through my tears and wiped them away.

"I was so worried Katie, don't ever do that to me again!"

"Believe me Mum, I never wanted it to happen in the first place. This has been the worst night of my life." I opened my mouth to respond but I was cut off by the nurse.

"Mrs Grey, I have to ask you to allow us to finish our check up on your daughter." I regretfully let her go, allowing her to trudge back to the hospital bed as I felt somebody slip their arms around my waist.

"Thank you," I muttered without taking my eyes off of Katie. "Thank you for going to find her and not panicking."

"It was all for you two Mitch, my two girls."

"I'm sorry about how she treated you Shane. She just wasn't expecting it…"

"It's fine Mitchie. She just didn't know what else to do. She's forgiven me now, that's all that matters." I smiled and turned around to kiss. Shane smiled into the kiss and I reached up to play with the tips of his hair.

"Eugh. Guys, this is a hospital, not a hotel." I stifled a laugh and leant around my husband to see Caitlyn standing there, hands on hips.

"Like you've never kissed Nate in public."

"Not in a _hospital _I haven't." I pulled out of Shane's grasp and walked closer to her.

"What about when Millie was born? I'm pretty sure you kissed him then."  
"That doesn't count!" Caitlyn protested.

"Sure it doesn't Cait, sure it doesn't." She rolled her eyes and then looked thoughtful.

"Shane, don't you have a concert tonight?" His look of shock mirrored my own.

"I forgot about that!" we said in unison and then laughed.

"I'll cancel it," he said firmly. "I'm not leaving you lot alone for even a second."

"No!" I said too loudly, earning curios glances from passers by. "I mean, you can't. You _never _come to England and your fans have been waiting months for the chance to see you perform. If there was something wrong with Katie then you could cancel it but she's fine so you can go and do the show. We'll be there the whole time, you'll be able to see us all the time you're on stage, I promise." Shane still didn't look convinced but before he could speak Jason, Chloe and Nate came around the corner holding the two sleeping children. I was glad to see Jason up so quickly.

"Are you talking about Shane's concert?" Nate asked.

"I miss that…" Jason said with a sigh, reaching out to take Luke off of Chloe. I smiled softly to myself. I'd only sung at a few concerts but I knew what he meant. There was something addictive about performing, the atmosphere, the way the crowds screamed your name, how you could make other people happy by doing what you loved most. Shane was lucky he still had it all. Speaking of my husband, why was he now grinning broadly, like he had won the lottery without even entering?

"Nate do you miss it too?" he asked his brother. Nate nodded.

"I suppose I do. I hadn't really thought about it, Caity and Millie are my life now and I wouldn't sacrifice them for anything."

"Aww!" All three of us girls chorused. Nate didn't even look embarrassed, he truly meant it. But I could tell that deep down he would go back to performing if he could do it without deserting his family.

"Shane why are you asking this all of a sudden?" I questioned him. Shane smiled softly and looked at each of us.

"I don't want to go and perform without my family tonight, not when we're just getting on again. I have an idea. I know that the kids would like it-"  
"I'm not a kid!" Katie yelled, evidently listening to our conversation.

"I know that the kids _and Katie,_" Shane corrected himself. "Would like it, I know you girls would like it and I know that the fans would love it."  
"What?" We all asked him.

"I think that tonight shouldn't be my show, it should be _our _show."  
"As in…?" Nate trailed off.

"Like, all three of us together?" Jason asked, his eyes sparkling with the excitement he always displayed before a show as a teenager.

"Yeah, I think that Connect 3 should get back together, maybe not permanently but definitely for tonight." Chloe and Caitlyn were smiling so hard I thought their faces would split but then I was probably doing the same. Nate and Jason looked like five year olds who had been told Christmas was coming early.

"I have missed it…" Nate admitted.

"The fans would love it." Caitlyn persuaded him.

"Go on!" I urged them. The three brothers shared a quick glance and then nodded all together. Chloe, Caitlyn and me squealed.

"Connect 3's back together!" I giggled. Shane chuckled at my hyperactive, teenage-like response.

"Seriously?" Katie called. We all spun to face her and nodded. She smiled as the nurse told her she could go and ran over. "Yes! Do I get front row tickets?"

"No, you get something better." Jason told her, looking thoughtful. "You get a backstage pass and… if you want it, a chance to sing on stage."

"What?" The smile slipped off of her face as Chloe and I stared at Jason, enthralled. Nate, Shane and Caitlyn didn't understand but they didn't want to upset Katie so they kept quiet.

"Katie, you have a great voice, don't pass up this opportunity." Chloe prompted her.

"Go on Katie, we all heard you sing, you're fantastic!" I threw Jason a grateful glance. Katie deserved this chance, she had an amazing voice and everybody deserved a chance to shine, especially when they had as much talent as Katie.

"I don't know..."  
"Katie, just give it a try, practice at the sound check and make up your mind then." Shane begged. I knew that he just wanted to hear his daughter sing, maybe catch up on some of the things he had missed in the last fifteen years.

"I'm not saying I will… but what would I sing?" I smiled. She was giving in.

"At the airport, weren't you writing in Mitchie's song book?" Jason asked her. Katie blushed.

"I was, but they were just random lines and they were really bad."

"Right, we're all allowed to leave here now, we're going back to the apartment and we are all writing this song together." Katie opened her mouth to protest but I cut her off.

"No, we're going back to the apartment to sleep, then we'll get up later and write a song. It's two in the morning, we need some sleep." Millie blinked awake from her position in Nate's arms and yawned.

"Daddy where are we?" she asked sleepily.

"We're just about to go home," Nate told her, setting her down on the floor. "We're going back to Uncle Jason's apartment to go to bed and then Daddy's going to sing in his band again."  
"But Connect 3 broke up years and years and years ago!" Millie exclaimed. "Are you going to get back together and do lots of CD's like your old ones?"

"I don't think so sweetie. It's only for tonight." Millie pouted and folded her arms.

"Come on Mil, let's get going." Caitlyn reached for her daughter's hand and led her along the corridor as the girl woke up fully and began to talk animatedly about something or other.

"Where's Anna?" Katie asked suddenly.

"She's downstairs talking to some police. We did a check with the hospital staff; she was told her Mum died after a car crash because the hospital couldn't do anything for her but the hospital have no record of her Mum ever being here. The police are going to see if they can track her down."  
"Her Mum's not dead?" Katie grinned. "Speaking of dead, my phone is and I don't know where my charger is."

"I tell you what," Shane said, taking my hand as we headed towards the staircase. "On the way back to the apartment we'll stop at a shop and buy you a new phone Katie.

"At two in the morning?" Katie raised an eyebrow and Shane frowned.  
"I'm Shane Grey, I can go to any shop I want at any time of day!"

"Shane!" I said, smacking his arm.

"Sorry baby I was just joking! We'll go in the morning. The concert's not due to start until seven in the evening." I smiled and he leant in to kiss me. I pulled away after a few seconds and met Katie's eyes. She didn't look angry or hurt, she just look amused and slightly embarrassed.

"If you two are finished I want to go to bed." I grinned at her cheekily and wound my arms around Shane's waist.

"You know what Katie, I don't think I am finished…" I kissed along Shane's jaw line and felt him chuckle lightly, all the time marinating eye contact with Katie and noting her disgusted expression.

"I'm going to go back to the apartment with Chloe and Jason, you tow go back to Shane's hotel room and do… whatever…" I stifled a laugh as she shuddered and sprinted off after her Uncles.

"Well that was unexpected…" Shane muttered. "But good…" He gave a seductive smirk and I shook my head.

"Not going to happen Shane!" Even though I knew I was going to lose.

"Please…" he began to pout but I couldn't look away. "Mitch it's been almost sixteen years and Katie practically told us to…" I smiled and kissed his bottom lip as it jutted out.

"Well if we stand here for much longer we'll never get back to your hotel in time will we?" Shane lost the pout and grinned widely, taking my hand as we strolled down the hallway.

xOx

"Okay, so we're doing Play My Music, Turn Right, Out Of This World, Year 3000 and L.A. Baby." Nate glanced up from his list for reassurance and we all nodded before he continued. "After that, Shane is going to sing One In a Million, which he wrote for Mitchie and Gotta Find You, which he wrote for Mitchie, before Mitchie comes on to sing This Is Me and La La Land. Katie's next, we're dragging you on to sing something whether you like it or not," Katie flushed a deep red and sunk down in her chair. We had forced her to sing earlier that day and needless to say everybody had been blown away. "We still need a song to end with…" Nate looked up. "Any ideas?"

"How about This is Our Song?" Caitlyn suggested. "I know it was originally from the camp fire but it wasn't too complicated and I think we could get Kate involved."

"No!" Katie protested. We all ignored her.

"Caity, you'd have to get involved too." Nate reminded her. Caitlyn's eyes widened and she looked to me for support.

"Don't look at me Cait. You're the one providing all of the music, you've got it all on that laptop of yours, but the fans should see you somehow. You can sing really well, just come out and sing one song with us." Caitlyn frowned but Nate took her hand and whispered something in her ear which made her blush and then lean away from him.

"Fine, I'll do it." I grinned at Chloe. We wanted her to join us too but she was using the excuse that she was pregnant to stay offstage, remain hidden in the wings. Caitlyn, however, had about as much choice as Katie.

I glanced at my daughter only to see her engrossed in her new phone. Shane had taken her out earlier that day and purchased her a top of the range iPhone as well as a new laptop to keep her occupied. I didn't really see the problem with her old phone or the laptop she had quite happily been using for years now but she was a teenage girl, she wasn't about to turn down free gifts.

We had planned the whole two hour concert now. Even Nate looked bored as he rearranged the plan. I knew it was essential to know what we were singing before the concert, because making it up on the spot was unlikely to work, but I had never really realised how much work went into it before. I couldn't help but wonder if this was the first concert that had been planned four hours before it began.

Shane had called up the record label and told them what was going on. He didn't ask them, he simply stated that he didn't need TJ Tyler tonight because he had something much better; his family, the people he loved, the two most important people in his life. The label had been infuriated but he had ignored them, telling them that they could drop him if they wanted but once they heard what was going on tonight it was unlikely to happen.

Caitlyn pulled out her laptop and began setting up the backing tracks we would need for tonight as Chloe picked up the phone, using speed dial to invite Hattie, Lily and Poppy into town for a shopping trip. Of course, our friends had front row tickets and backstage passes to the concert now that we were all involved, Shane had sorted that immediately, and we needed their help finding outfits. We could have done fine on our own but they would be offended if we didn't ask them along.

Nobody knew about the concert yet. As far as any of the fans knew it was just another Shane Grey concert, a couple of songs from a jerky pop star and they were right in some ways, Shane would be singing the same love songs he had been singing for years, but they were different in so many ways.

For starters, he wasn't singing them like a lovesick puppy any more. He had told me as we drove here this morning that the past fifteen years had just blurred into one, every time he sang a love song he would think about me, think about us, and he would just feel heartbroken, but that was no longer the case. Now he had not only me but his daughter as well, back and we were all getting along.

It was hard to believe that less than twenty four hours ago I was stressing because my daughter had been kidnapped, yet here I was preparing to sing at my husbands concert, standing in whatever shop Lily had insisted we visit trying on yet another dress, this one sparkling red.

"Nope, not your colour. I never really thought it would suit you." I threw Lily an exasperated look.

"Why did you make me try it on if you knew it wouldn't suit me?"

"Because I had to check, I might have been wrong." I didn't bother answering as I stormed back into the changing room and pulled off the dress, waiting impatiently for Lily to provide me with the next outfit.

I had been trying to choose clothes for an hour now. Katie had been sorted immediately, a beautiful dress that Hattie had spotted which just happened to be the last one in her size, but I was still stuck here, trying on outfit after outfit while my family sat at home writing songs.

A hand slid around the edge of the curtain and I grabbed the clothes, sliding them on without paying attention to what I was doing. It was only when I looked up and saw my reflection that I smiled.

Hattie and Poppy had finally found something I liked. I was wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans and a tight white tank top that somehow didn't make me look like an old woman trying to act young. I looked like a girl in her mid twenties instead of woman in her early thirties. I could just see that with my black boots and my hair sorted I would look fantastic.

"This is it!" I announced as I stepped out. Lily and Poppy grinned when they saw me and Hattie smiled from where she was muttering on the phone in the corner.

"Perfect!" Lily announced. "Now lets buy it because we have to hours until that concert and the staff want a quick run through of at least a few of the songs as a short sound check.  
"Two-two hours?" I chocked out. Just because I had agreed to do this didn't mean I was ready for it. I hadn't sung in front of an audience for fifteen years and now I was making my comeback on the last night of Shane Grey's tour along with Connect 3 and my daughter.

My palms were sweating as my friends paid for my outfit and I couldn't help but hope that everything was ready because I sure as hell wasn't.

**Okay, it's quite short and I'm sorry but I really wanted to get this up for you guys and say a big THANK YOU to everybody who has been patiently waiting for this chapter. Again, sorry it took so long but like I said there's been a lot of drama in my life recently so I'm trying my hardest!  
Tell me what you think,**

**~Spwarkle**


	14. The Concert

**I know it's been forever, again, but we've had snow and homework so much over the past few weeks that I've not had a single moment of free time. Enjoy!**

**Katie's POV  
**

I couldn't believe this was really happening to me. I had come to England for a vacation, to spend a few weeks with some old family friends and now look where I was.

I was standing in the wings of a Shane Gray concert. It wasn't going to be a Shane Gray concert any more but the fans didn't know that.

I had been in rehearsals most of the day. As soon as we had perfected the set list we were off preparing. It was quite a privilege to see Connect 3 singing together for the first time in fifteen years and kind of strange that I was a part of the reason they had broken up as well as part of the reason they were back together.

They sounded just as good as they had all those years ago and I couldn't help but grin as I imagined the crowds reaction when all three brothers turned up instead of just the one they had paid to see. I knew that the press were going to have a field day but I didn't really care. All I could think about now as I stood in the wings of the stage was that in less than an hour I was going to be out there singing.

Dad was just about ready to go on, a genuine smile on his face as he spoke earnestly to Mum about something before turning to me.

"Have fun Dad," I told him. He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and grabbed a microphone from the stage hand.

"You too Katie." With one final wave he jogged out onto the stage.

The fans went crazy, screaming his name, lunging for him, yelling at him that they loved him. One of the girls in the front row physically fainted when he smiled in her general direction and I rolled my eyes. Dad glanced at his brothers standing in the wings opposite who looked a little bit worried now. They had been around all day telling Mum and I not to panic but now they were the ones who looked as if they wanted to bolt from the room.

"Hey guys!" The screams doubled in volume when Dad spoke and I wondered how many vocal chords would break when Nate and Jason walked onto the stage. "Now I know you're here to see me perform tonight but I'm afraid this isn't a Shane Gray concert any longer." The screaming stopped as people began to think that he had been replaced. "I know that over the past few days there have been a lot of rumours about my family and myself and I also know that a lot of them were true. Katie is my daughter and Mitchie is my wife although some of you might not believe it." He glanced at us and we smiled. "I'm here today though to introduce some old friends. I've made a lot of mistakes in the past few years and there have been a lot of misunderstandings but now I hope they've all been sorted out. So it is with pleasure that I introduce my brothers, Nate and Jason Gray!"

The two jogged onto stage and somehow the screams grew even louder than before.

"How're you doing Southampton?" Nate asked, waving at a few girls. I saw Caitlyn appear at the side of the stage with Chloe and my two younger cousins. Millie saw her Daddy and giggled before running straight out of Caitlyn's grasp and onto stage, latching herself around Nate's leg.

Everybody in the audience made sounds of adoration as the eight year old giggled up at her Daddy.

"Hey Millie," he said, chuckling as he bent down to lift her into his arms. She stared out at the crowd of fifty thousand people and was suddenly overcome by shyness, burying her face into Nate's neck. Cameras flashed in all directions as everybody attempted to get a picture of Nate gray with his daughter. Nate whispered something into her ear and she looked up nervously, waving at the audience.

"Hi," she said into the microphone. Her voice sounded so young as it was amplified across the stadium. There was a collective 'aww' again and I smiled as Millie looked right at me.

"This is Nate's daughter," Jason explained to the crowd. "Millie's not normally this shy, are you?" Millie shook her head and Nate placed her down again. The little girl sprinted back to Caitlyn and leapt into her Mum's arms. The audience couldn't see her any longer as she shook with fear at the amount of people who had been watching her. I smiled encouragingly at her.

Nate, Shane and Jason seemed slightly confused by her sudden appearance but they were still on target.

"Okay, this is our first time playing together in a long time so you'll have to forgive us if we make any mistakes." Nate explained.

"We're going to start off with one of our favourites. It's called Play My Music." Nate and Jason leapt into place as Shane spoke, Jason grabbing his guitar and Nate sitting down at the drums. "Are you ready? Here we go!" The fans, mostly girls, screamed as the backing beat started and I grinned.

The boys fell naturally into their music; it was like they had never stopped. They knew every single word to each song they performed, they knew every chord, note and beat for the backing of everything and they looked like they were having the time of their lives. For Nate and Jason this was almost brand new and I could tell by the excitement in their eyes that they had forgotten how it really made them feel.

The crowd loved it, of course. They had arrived expecting to see Shane and now they got the whole of Connect 3. A few rows back from the front there was a group of girls with a sign reading _We love you Shane! _And I laughed when they pulled it down and scribbled _And Nate and Jason! _On in what appeared to be lipstick.

When the set came to an end the crowd went wild. They screamed and shouted, cheering and reaching up, desperate to touch the boys at their reunion concert. Nate and Jason didn't leave the stage for a full five minutes after they had finished, they were too preoccupied with waving at the fans who were still loyal to them after all of this time. I knew that by the morning this would be all over the internet, videos, pictures and articles.

That was when it really hit me. Nate and Jason were finally off stage, greeting their families happily as thousands of cameras flashed and I finally understood that I would be going out there, singing a brand new song in front of fifty thousand people. None of these people had ever seen me before, none of them had heard of me until three days ago when I had been revealed to the world as Katie Chloe Gray.

I would be out there, alone on the stage singing. I didn't even know if the fans would like the song, how they would react to me. Would they think that I was only being given a chance because Shane was sucking up to me? He wasn't, I knew my Dad. He honestly thought I had talent but would the rest of the world agree?

I looked down at my outfit nervously, was it suitable for singing at a Shane Gray concert? Could I live up to my parents? I was pretty sure that I didn't look half as casual as them in their jeans as I stood in the dress. It consisted of a black skirt adorned with red flowery patterns and a pink top with frillier sleeves than I would have liked, held together by a thick black belt. I wouldn't have picked it out personally but Hattie had sworn it would look good on me and she was right, it did.

Feeling slightly sick, I drew back out of the wings and into the backstage area that was slightly quieter. My fingers reached for my phone and I dialled the number I had memorised. It wasn't because I had put a lot of effort into remembering my best friend's number it was because the whole thing was a repeat of itself. There were only four numbers in it.

The phone rang just twice before the familiar voice answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Becky! It's Katie!" I heard a sharp intake of breath before Becky answered in a very high voice. Becky was prone to overreacting to everything, I should have been prepared to hold the phone away from my ear.

"Oh My God! Katie! Why didn't you tell me?" I hadn't even thought about how Becky would take it. The news that I was Shane Gray's daughter had spread across the world almost in one massive ripple but I had never thought about how my friends would react. It didn't help that I hadn't bothered to charge up my old phone since I had received this one so any texts or calls that I had received would be going straight through to the dead line.

Becky had reacted much how I would have predicted if I had thought about it. There were rumours around that I had been in contact with Shane all these years as he pretended not to know about my existence and Becky obviously believed them. Becky wasn't actually called Becky, her name was Rebecca but anybody who called her that would receive the silent treatment for days on end.

Do you possibly see where I got the name from the day I had first encountered Shane? Rebecca had practically grown up as my sister; it was an automatic reaction to think of her name straight after mine.

"Becky, I didn't know!" I told her loudly as she continued to babble away.

"But I thought… The news was saying that you knew all along!"

"The news had it wrong, Becks. I didn't know until twelve hours before the rest of the world."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah." I could hear footsteps form Becky's end of the phone and then the sound of a door shutting.

"So tell me all about it!" I sighed.

"Becky, can I call you back in a bit? Dad brought Connect 3 back together for his concert, now he's doing his own bit, then it's Mum and then they're all bullying me into singing."

"Connect 3 are there? Like all three of them?" I had never mentioned to Becky that I knew Nate and Jason. "I am so jealous of you Katie! And you're singing at Shane Gray's concert which makes me ever more jealous! Look, call me back later, I'm going to sit here and wait until I've heard everything. There was a rumour about you being kidnapped yesterday, which is obviously stupid because you're here now, but you have to tell me, oh and tell me how your [parents met and-"

"Bye Becky!" I hung up before she could go on any further. She might be my best friend but she sure went on sometimes.

Knowing that I was missing my Dad's performance I walked silently back to the edge of the stage. My Mum waved me over to the very front, right behind the curtain. We had a better view of Shane from here and it was harder for the audience to see us.

Shane was just finishing Gotta Find you and Mitchie was is full on panic mode. She wad due on stage any second and I could tell that she wasn't comfortable with it. Her hands fumbled with the glossy black microphone and she automatically smoothed out her clothes.

"Mum, you'll be fine." I promised her. She smiled gratefully but didn't seem entirely convinced so I threw a desperate glance at Chloe and Caitlyn across the stage. The understood immediately and sprinted off, hopefully around the back to help me out.

I though Dad was finished, thought that he was going to introduce Mum, sing with her and leave but he didn't. He met my eyes and spoke into the microphone without looking away.

"I've made some pretty huge mistakes in my time. I became a jerk, twice, I broke my family, I destroyed my band but most importantly, I broke Mitchie's heart. It wasn't my fault but it was my fault that I didn't run after her. It was my fault that I didn't try to keep in contact with my daughter and it was my fault I missed Katie growing up. When Katie was just a few months old I wrote this song for her and it still applies today, even more so." I heard Caitlyn and Chloe appear behind me and mutter to Mum reassuringly but I was far too busy wondering what Dad was going to do next. "I'm sorry I missed fifteen years of your life Katie, I'm sorry I didn't try harder to find you, but this song is for you."

I felt tears in my eyes as he finally looked away, back down to the guitar he was still holding. He had written a song for me? I gently wiped away the tear and watched as he began to sing, watching me again.

"_If you ever leap awake_

_In the mirror of a bad dream_

_And for a fraction of a second_

_You can't remember where you are_

_Just open your window _

_And follow your memory upstream_

_To the meadow in the mountain_

_Where we counted every falling star_

_I believe the light that shines on you_

_Will shine on you forever_

_And though I can't guarantee _

_There's nothing scary hiding under your bed_

_I'm gonna stand guard_

_Like a postcard of a Golden Retriever_

_And never leave till I leave you _

_With a sweet dream in your head_

_I'm gonna watch you shine_

_Gonna watch you grow_

_Gonna paint a sign_

_So you'll always know_

_As long as one and one is two_

_There could never be a father_

_That loved his daughter more than I love you_

_Trust your intuition_

_It's just like going fishing_

_You cast your line_

_And hope you'll get a bite_

_But you don't need to waste your time_

_Worrying about the market place_

_Try to help the human race_

_Struggling to survive its harshest night_

_I'm gonna watch you shine_

_Gonna watch you grow_

_Gonna paint a sign_

_So you'll always know_

_As long as one and one is two_

_There could never be a father_

_That loved his daughter more than I love you_

_I'm gonna watch you shine_

_Gonna watch you grow_

_Gonna paint a sign_

_So you'll always know_

_As long as one and one is two_

_There could never be a father_

_That loved his daughter more than I love you."_

I was physically crying by the time he finished. It was one of the sweetest songs I had ever heard, made even more emotionally by the fact that it was written entirely about me and how he wanted to be there for me through everything.

At that moment I didn't care that he was on a stage in front of fifty thousand screaming fans or that I probably looked like hell with mascara smudged all over my cheeks. I felt my legs moving as I sprinted towards him, stopping when I reached him to hug him tightly around his waist.

"Thank you," I whispered into his shoulder. I didn't exactly know what I was thanking him for but the lyrics had really affected me. So what if he had only known me for a few days, I already found it easy to believe that he loved me because he was my father and I was his daughter.

Dad hugged me back and we stood for an endless moment together. I knew we were both thinking of our different perspectives of the past fifteen years and how everything would be different if Tess hadn't ruined it for us.

I was the first one to pull away, wiping tears out of my eyes. My vision was still blurred and there was a lump on my throat so I sprinted off and gratefully took the tissue that was being offered by one of my aunts. A part of me recognised that I was missing my parents singing a duet behind me so I stopped sniffling and turned around just in time to see my Mum beginning the first chorus of _This Is Me. _

She fitted straight into it, looking perfectly natural as she sung her heart out on stage. I had never seen her smiling so widely in my life, never seen such a huge grin on her face. All of the fear before she stepped on stage was clearly irrational because she could have done this for a profession. It looked almost like it had been rehearsed time and time again although I knew it hadn't.

I watched as she glanced towards Dad, cueing him to join, and he started singing a part of the song he had performed just minutes ago. It fitted perfectly, whether by coincidence or on purpose I wasn't too sure but even in the wings I could feel the chemistry which was obviously not missed by the fans.

The song drew to a close and the crowd went mad but my parents didn't notice, just kissing each other gently before Shane jogged off. He came towards me and engulfed me in a tight hug but he didn't mention the song which I was grateful for. My Mum began to sing La La Land, which she had written years ago, and Caitlyn appeared at my side with makeup wipes, mascara, eyeliner and a small mirror. I thanked her quietly and quickly reapplied my simple makeup. By the time I was finished the song was over.

"Okay guys, I've done this before, only a few times but I have done it." Mum was saying to the audience. "The next act hasn't done this ever and she doesn't really want to do it now but we're making her." Somebody pressed a microphone into my hand as my heart beat in my mouth. "I'd like to welcome to the stage Katie Gray!" The audience cheered as I stumbled out for the second time that night. The difference was that this time I was going out to perform and not to just hug Dad.

I was surprised by the volume of the screams and shocked by the amount of people who were cheering my name. Mum gave me a reassuring one armed hug as she left the stage and for a few seconds I stared out at the black mass of fans.

I glanced to the side of the stage and was reassured by me entire family grinning at me. They were all there; Mum, Dad, Nate, Caitlyn, Jason, Chloe and even Millie. None of them looked worried for me, they were all urging me to say something so I turned away form them and back to the crowd.

"Hey guys," I said in a shaky voice. "Like my Mum said, I haven't ever done this before so I'm really sorry if I mess it up." I gave a nervous giggle and heard somebody in the front row shout up to me.

"You can do it Katie!"

"Thanks," I said, grinning in the general direction of the girl. "Okay, so I'm going to sing a song that was only written today, we all sat down, my parents, my uncles and my aunts and wrote this together so I hope you like it."

Caitlyn pressed a few buttons on the laptop she was holding and the backing beat she had mixed just hours ago played out across the stadium.

Almost immediately the audience picked up the beat and began clapping along, all as one. For some reason, that was all I needed to reassure me I could do this, fifty thousand people clapping along to my song. A grin cracked across my face and I began to sing.

"_We're done but it's not over_

_We'll start it again_

_Out to the end of the day_

_It keeps getting better_

_Don't be afraid_

_we'll do it together_

_Come on_

_come on_

_You know_

_It's your time to move_

_It's my time move_

_Come on_

_Come on_

_Let go_

_Leave it all behind_

_Your past and mind_

_Gone are the days of summer_

_We couldn't change it if we tried_

_Why would we want to_

_Let's go where we got to_

_Our paths will cross again in time_

_It's never the same tomorrow_

_And tomorrow's never clear_

_So come on_

_come on_

_You know_

_Our time_

_Our time is here_

_We know but we're not certain_

_How can we be_

_How can we see what's ahead_

_The road keeps on turning_

_And all we can do is travel each day to the next_

_Come on_

_come on_

_You know_

_It's your time to move_

_It's my time move_

_Come on_

_Come on_

_Let go_

_Leave it all behind_

_Your past and mind_

_Gone are the days of Summer_

_We couldn't change it if we tried_

_Why would we want to_

_Let's go where we got to_

_Our paths will cross again in time_

_It's never the same tomorrow_

_And tomorrow's never clear_

_So come on_

_come on_

_You know_

_Our time_

_Our time is here_

_Yeah! Yeah!_

_Come on_

_Come on_

_Come on_

_Our time is here_

_Gone are the days of summer_

_We couldn't change it if we tried_

_So come on_

_Come on_

_Come on_

_Come on_

_Come on_

_Come on_

_So come on_

_come on_

_You know_

_Our time_

_Our time is here."_

I was smiling wider than I had ever smiled before. I had just had the best experience of my life and the fans appeared to have enjoyed the whole thing. They were cheering and clapping wildly, screaming my name as I stood in the centre of the stage.

"Thank you so much!" I said into the microphone, walking slowly back towards my family and waving at the crowd.

A soon as I was off stage one of the stage hands took my microphone and I was engulfed in hugs from my entire family.

"Well Done Katie!"

"We told you that you could do it!"

"I'm so proud!"

"The fans loved it!"

"Congratz Kate!" I grinned at the six adults and gave a small squeal.

"I did it!" They all laughed at my enthusiasm.

"Only one song left now!" Caitlyn told us all. We all jumped, having forgotten that we had to get back out there again. Stage hands held out six microphones and everyone but Chloe grabbed one. Nate and Jason picked up their guitars again and we all walked out to the loudest screams yet.

"Hello Southampton!" Dad greeted them again. "Unfortunately we've come to the end of our concert but we have one more song before the end. We would like to thank you all for making this night so special, we will never forget this concert. This has been one of the best nights of my life and it always will be. Thank you for making this concert possible." Nate took over.

"Before we sing our last song we would like to thank a few people. First off, Caitlyn," Caitlyn blushed. "Who has mixed the backing tracks for almost every song tonight." The crowd cheered and Caitlyn grinned nervously. "Secondly, Chloe, Jason's wife, who has been running around backstage all night helping anyone and everyone and is currently in charge of two exhausted children." People cheered again and we all looked over to Chloe who shook her head and took a few steps backwards, holding a sleeping Luke in her arms. Jason laughed and continued the little speech.

"We would also like to thank all of the people who you never see, the stage hands, Shane's manager, the technicians, the men who sell you tickets, the guards, anybody who helps out in any way behind the scenes, thank you all so much." The fans were still cheering; they hadn't stopped since we stepped onto the stage. Shane nudged me to perform the short speech I had rehearsed earlier.

"Last we would like to thank all of you. Without you, none of this would be possible. If you weren't such devoted fans to my Dad, we wouldn't have been able to perform to you tonight, so thank you for coming and thank you for being such great fans." The cheering doubled and I noticed just how many white flashes were constantly shown around the stadium. How many thousand photos were there of tonight?

"This is our last song," Mum told them. "It was a song we performed at the end of Camp Rock many years ago. We hope you like it." A few of the stage hands came hurrying on with stools and we all sat down in a perfect semi circle as Nate and Jason began to play.

That was by far my favourite song of the night. We were all sat together, doing what we loved in front of the people who loved to watch it. Each of us had a solo, even Jason, and we all enjoyed it to the fullest. Mum and Dad really sung their hearts out and I could picture in my mind all of them sitting around a camp fire years ago and singing this with their friends from Camp Rock.

The song came to an end and we waved out to the audience, smiling widely as the lights dimmed and it eventually went black.

"Goodnight Southampton!" Caitlyn yelled. We laughed and picked off the microphones before taking our stools and heading back into the wings, which were still lit.

I had just had the best night of my life. I might only have known who my family were for a few days but I already loved them like I had known who they were my whole life. We got on well, we understood each other and we all had one passion in common; Music. Together, out there on the stage, we could sing together for hours on end, happily singing together, just glad to be with each other.

I had never enjoyed myself so much in my life. I had spent the past ten years wondering what to do when I was older but now I knew what I wanted. I wanted to follow in my Dad's footsteps and sing. Just knowing that the fans liked me was enough payment.

**I know it seems long but I guess that's because there's two songs in it. I didn't think you would appreciate twenty pages of songs so I didn't put them all in. The song that Shane sang was Father and Daughter by Paul Simon.**

**I'm sorry it took so long but it's only 20 days until Christmas (Yay!) so I'm really busy at the mo. I'll try and update ASAP,**

**~Spwarkle **

**(Almost Christmas people!) **


	15. Planning A Party

**Wow… I haven't updated since the 5****th**** December and now it's the middle of January. I am SO sorry! But can I just say thank you – I still get emails every few days telling me somebody had alerted or favourited this story. It really means a lot to me, thanks!**

**Shane's POV**

"Katie, you were fantastic!" I chuckled as Katie blushed yet again and bowed her head.

"I wish everyone would stop saying that!" She complained. "The concert ended four hours ago and you lot still won't shut up about me!"

"That's because you were fantastic!" We all shouted at the tops of our voices.

I was sitting with my back against Chloe and Jason's sofa, Mitchie's legs over my shoulders and her gentle fingers playing with my hair. We had left the stadium over two hours ago after several phone calls with my manager, the record label and the press, all of who were excited to see Connect 3 back together. It had taken us a good two hours to explain to them all that we weren't going to get back together and run off on a world tour now that we all had families and children to care for.

Katie had definitely enjoyed the concert, she was still buzzing even now. It was three in the morning, Millie and Luke were fast asleep and Katie was sitting cross legged on the floor talking to us like the mature adult she was fast on her way to becoming. I had missed her childhood.

As we sat and laughed, talking about the concert and remembering the years when music had been our lives, Katie's phone began to ring with a cheery tune. She grabbed it and answered quickly.

"Hey Becks!" Her eyes widened and she turned to Jason. "Uncle Jase, can you put Hot Tunes on please?" I shared a knowing look with Nate as Jason located the remote and flicked on the television. We had felt the same way Katie looked the day after our first concert.

Sure enough, Hot Tunes was midway through a collage of videos, hundreds of clips and photos from phones and cameras situated throughout the stadium. They were speaking over the top of it, explaining who was performing, what they were singing and where they had been for the past fifteen years. It was only when they reached a video of Katie talking that they stopped to listen.

Katie blushed the deepest red yet at seeing her face on TV. She looked completely relaxed on the screen; you couldn't see the way her muscles had tensed up of the fear in her eyes that you could recognise from closer up.

"I'm watching it now Becks… No! Don't!" I distinctly heard a shout of 'Too Late' from down the phone before Katie turned to me with wide eyes. "Dad is there any way of stopping hundreds of emails and texts with videos of me in them from reaching their destination?"

I shook my head. "Sorry Katie. No can do." She groaned.

"Rebecca, I hate you!"

"No you don't honey," Mitchie spoke up from above me. "You'll thank her for it someday." Katie rolled her eyes and stood up, chatting to the girl on the phone as she wandered into Mitchie's room.

"Okay, we've congratulated Katie enough," Caitlyn announced. "Time to throw a party for Mitchie!"

"What? No!"

But Mitchie was the only one opposed to the idea. Jason and Nate were grinning, Chloe was more than a little excited and I liked the sound of a party. Whether it was a get together with friends and family or a celebrity party, Mitchie deserved something. Not just for singing but for spending fifteen years raising our daughter alone and having managed to do such a good job of it.

It might have been one in the morning but Caitlyn and Chloe were wide awake once they heard the word party. By the time Katie emerged they already had a list of people to invite and were looking for a suitable venue online. Jason and Nate were ignoring their crazy wives as they watched the TV and Mitchie was hovering around the table by her friends.

"Kate, come over here!" Caitlyn beckoned her over and Katie crossed the room in confusion. "We're throwing a party next Saturday, a few days before you go home. Is there anyone you desperately want to invite?"

Katie sat down and began to join in the planning but I was having a silent conversation with Mitchie. She hurried over and sat on the floor by me, leaning her head against my shoulder.

"What do you want to do?" I asked her.

"I don't know. We're happy and settled where we are - Katie has friends, I have a job – but now everyone knows about you she'll be treated differently by a lot of the kids at school."

"Come and live with me." I didn't even ask it, I stated it. "I have a whole house to myself at the moment; I know you would both love it. There's a private school nearby where several of the kids are in Katie's situation, she'd be fine there."

"What about work? Katie's friends?"

"First off, I'm pretty sure that you will hate your job unless it involves music." I could tell by her faintly red cheeks that I was right. "Secondly, Katie will make new friends and we can afford regular visits if she wants."

Mitchie sat quietly for a while, considering.

"Maybe you're right," she said eventually. "I hate my job, it's boring office work, and Katie wouldn't have any problems with you being her Dad if she want to a more upmarket school."

"So it's sorted. As of – when do you leave here?"

"In nine days."

"As of nine days time, my daughter and my wife will come and live with me."

Mitchie grinned, snuggling into my neck. "I love you Shane. Did you know that?"

"I had an inkling. Oh and Mitchie?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you too."

"Get a room!" Katie yelled.

"We weren't _doing _anything." I called back.

"No but it's still disgusting."  
"The kids are sleeping next door you two." Chloe reminded us. She then lowered her voice and continued with her planning, turning around to blow Jason a kiss. I heard Katie groan and watched as Caitlyn mouthed 'I love you' towards her own husband.

"I'm going to bed!" Katie announced. "Feel free to continue the love fest when I'm gone!"

"It's alright Kate. One day you'll fall in love and you can join us." That was Caitlyn of course.

I still struggled to think of baby Katie as being almost grown up so I called it out to my family. "Can you please not say things like that? To me, Katie is still a baby girl."

Katie didn't even bother to respond; she simply waltzed into her room and closed the door behind her.

"Where are we all going to sleep?" Mitchie asked. "The kids are in Chloe and Jase's room, Katie is in ours and Cait and Nate have no room."

"Who said anything about sleeping?" I teased.

"I did. I'm tired and if I can't sleep on a bed, your shoulder will have to do." Before I could respond she had closed her eyes. I reached out to wrap my arm around her as her breathing slowed and her body went limp.

I sat for several minutes just staring at her peaceful face. She really was beautiful, my angel, the girl I had been stupid enough to let go of.

"Boys, come and help us choose a location." Chloe ordered. I gestured to my sleeping wife and Chloe sighed. "Change of plan, go and sit on the sofa so that Shane can help too."

I felt my brothers drop down behind me as Chloe and Caitlyn crossed the room with a laptop.

"Okay, location one," Caitlyn offered, opening up a webpage and holding the laptop towards us. I caught sight of a large hall, decorated with streamers and banners of every colour in the rainbow, tables and chairs decked in pristine white material and a wide dance space.

I barely had time to take that much in before Caitlyn changed it. This next picture seemed much more active; bright lights, a bar, huge speakers, a small stage. It seemed friendlier and more alive than the first location and apparently my brothers agreed with me because we all spoke out at the same time.

"That one."

"Yeah, we thought so too, it was just that the other one seemed more formal."

Ten minutes later the girls had booked the venue and finalised the guest list. They piled up the papers they had accumulated in such a short amount of time and hurried over to join their husbands.

"That was super fast." Nate commented.

"Yeah, well we paid extra to have the venue at such short noticed."

"Cool." Nate has already distracted himself as he wound Caitlyn's hair around his fingers over and over again.

Jason grinned as he placed his hands on Chloe's stomach. "Dude you do know she used your credit card right?"

"What?" Nate sat up straight. "How much was it exactly?"

"Not much, don't worry." Caitlyn smirked and exchanged a look with Chloe. "We split it between you, Jase and Shane."

"What?" The combined yell awoke Mitchie who blinked sleepily.

"What did I miss?" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes and slowly lifting her head off of my shoulders.

"Cait and Chloe paid for their huge party with our credit cards." I grumbled.

"Since when was money an issue for you lot?" Mitchie asked. "Especially you Shane. You've had money pouring into your bank account constantly for the past fifteen years and after the concert tonight – or I guess it was last night – Connect 3 music will become popular again."

We sat up for a good hour longer, chatting and laughing as grown ups without having to worry about any of the kids interrupting or misunderstanding. Even Katie wasn't old enough to be a part of all of our conversations and it was nice to finally have some time as adults. We only broke up our little meeting when Chloe announced she had a back ache and fell asleep against Jason's chest.

"Is that a pregnancy thing?" I queried. "I only ask because pregnant women always seem to fall asleep so much faster than normal people." Mitchie and Caitlyn fixed me with glares and I winced, holding up my hands to protect myself. "I was only asking."

Jason rolled his eyes and gently lifted Chloe to place her on the vacant sofa. She rolled onto her side immediately and her hands held her stomach loosely.

"Night Jase." She muttered. "And no Shane, it's not a pregnancy thing but it's three in the morning." The others laughed and I rolled my eyes, leaning against the arm of the sofa. Mitchie crawled over and snuggled under my arm.

"Love you Shane." She whispered.

"I love you too."

_xOx_

We were awoken in the morning by a very loud, very wide awake Millie.

"Mummy, Daddy! Wake up!" We all leapt awake from the various uncomfortable positions we had fallen asleep in to see Millie standing in the middle of the sunlit room fully dressed and wide eyed. Katie was standing by the table holding Luke and had evidently helped the two younger children dress quietly and then persuaded Millie to shout out. Both girls were now laughing as Caitlyn stumbled to her feet.

"What was that for Millie?" Nate asked as he used the sofa to pull himself onto his feet.

"Katie said to wake you all up because it's almost lunch time." We all looked at our various watches and phones and saw that, indeed, it was almost time for lunch.

"Did we sleep all morning?" Chloe asked as she sat up, completely disregarding the fact she had just looked at Jason's watch.

"Nope," Katie said with a grin. "There's still half an hour left until the afternoon." Mitchie rolled her eyes and stretched against my side. I leant down to kiss her as Jason took Luke from his cousin's arms. "Don't worry, I got them up, I kept them quiet, I even managed to get them breakfast and brush Millie's teeth without waking you up."

"Seriously? You kept Luke quiet all morning?"

Millie nodded as she bounded across the room to hug her parents. "Katie made us stay quiet so that you could sleep because she said you didn't get to sleep until later than normal. She let me play on her phone." Caitlyn looked more than slightly alarmed.

"She didn't break it already did she Kate? I've lost count of the amount of Nate's phones she's broken over the years through playing games and running around."

"It's still in one piece."

"You have no idea how lucky you are."

Chloe finally stood up, clapping her hands loudly. Everybody turned to face her and she smiled.

"Okay everybody, we have a party to shop for."

"Party?" Millie shouted. "Yes, I love parties! Whose birthday is it?"

"Nobodies honey. Auntie Chloe decided to throw a party next week to celebrate us all being friends again."

"Because Shane isn't being a bloody idiot who has no regard for others any more?" Caitlyn flushed bright red and covered her daughters mouth as I began to laugh. "What?" Came Millie's muffled innocent voice.

"Millie, you shouldn't repeat things like that!" Nate scolded her. I rolled my eyes and flashed Katie a knowing look.

"Katie said she thought it would be funny!" Millie protested as soon as Caitlyn removed her hand, confirming my suspicions.

"I never said that." Katie defended. "I just said I would laugh at the look on Dad's face if he heard."

"Katie, just because we're on holiday doesn't mean you can teach Millie bad habits." Mitchie snapped. Katie flinched ever so slightly but Chloe cut in.

"As soon as we're dressed we'll go out and try to get everyone dresses."

"Everyone?"

"Yup," Chloe lifted up Jason's chin with her finger. "Even you Jase." Nate and I roared with laughter as Jason nodded meekly.  
"This'll be interesting." Nate observed. I nodded my agreement as I watched Mitchie and Katie talking across the room. I was the happiest I had ever been, I was having the time of my life with my family and I had finally met my beautiful daughter. My only regret was that I had missed Katie's entire childhood. I had missed Katie taking her first steps, speaking her first word, attending her first day of school, loosing her first tooth. I had entirely missed out on the adorable stage that Millie was going through at the moment. But I had my daughter and my wife now and that was all that mattered.

**Okay, so not really all that long and not all that eventful but now I'm back into it I'll update much more frequently. I'm already writing as much as I can around school but I will make a special effort on this one now because I really enjoy it. **

**A REALLY late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of my readers, sorry again! Thank you for being so patient with me!**

**Tell me if you liked it or not,**

**~Spwarkle**


	16. Enter Becky

**I have it all worked out now: I'm updating my stories in order. JGMT, MRR, TI and then UOTH. That way I'm not going to go off and forget about any of them. Just because I cheated and uploaded a new chapter of UOTH before announcing this…**

**Katie's POV**

My foot tapped impatiently on the ground as I stood and waited in the airport for the third time in two weeks. The difference was that this time we didn't have a car picking us up, no, we had four stretch limos parked outside, waiting to pick up the various friends and guests we were flying out for the party. Chloe, Caitlyn and Mum had a list each and they were getting ready to tick off people as they arrived. The only person I was bothered about was Rebecca.

I leant against the pillar in the middle of the airport, feeling the eyes of many teenage girls on me. Even the ones who probably hadn't noticed who I was were obviously curious as to why I was sitting in an airport with Connect 3. I was blocking them, watching the crowds.

The pre recorded voice finally announced that Rebecca's flight had landed and my face broke into a wide grin. I would finally have some company from people my own age, somebody I could really relate to. I watched the families pushing through, the couples reunited and the confused tourists for almost fifteen minutes before I finally caught sight of the red curls.

I flew forwards and stopped just inches in front of my best friend who immediately gasped and hugged me.

"Katie! I've missed you so much! You have to introduce me to everyone! Are they all here? How many are there exactly? Oh, and was that concert as amazing as it seemed? I've been watching it online all week, you were _amazing_! I don't know how you-!"

"Becky!" I almost shouted, covering her mouth with my hand. "Calm down!"

"Sorry…" She whispered. I laughed.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to Dad, Nate and Jase if you want?"

"Yes! Yes!"

Smiling, I led my best friend over to my family. Mum waved at Becky and even Caitlyn recognised her. Nate obviously recognised her wild red hair from the many pictures he had been sent over the years without realising who she was but everyone else was stumped, they could only guess that my best friend was this crazy girl.

"Dad, Jase, Nate, this is Becky, my best friend."

"Hey Becky," They all said together, completely relaxed and naturally.

"Hi!" She squealed, covering her mouth with both hands to stop and more of her excitement seeping out. My father and uncles chuckled.

"It's nice to finally meet the girl that Katie is constantly talking to." Shane held out his hand and Becky shook it hesitantly.

"It's nice to meet you too Mr Grey." She took Nate and Jason's offered hands. "And Mr Grey and Mr Grey."

"Becks," I said, taking her over to one side. "You don't have to treat them like gods just because you know them from TV."

"I don't get how you got used to them so fast! Does it just kind of become natural after a few days not to be starstruck?"

I grinned nervously. "Well I might kind of… you know… known Nate and Jason my whole life…"

"What!"

"Well Mum and Dad fell out but Mum wasn't going to leave behind her two best friends so I've known the others for_ever. _That's what I was doing here in the first place; meeting Jason and Chloe. Then they invited Nate and Caitlyn and things kind of spiralled from there."

"You are so lucky!" Becky whispered. I waved my Mum over and Becky's grin widened. "Hey Mitchie!"

Becky and my Mum had always got on well, between the two of them there was always one of them around with me. Becky was my crazy, red headed partner in crime, the one who could always be counted on to wheedle her, and her accomplices, way out of trouble. My Mum was the one who would tell us of and threaten us without carrying out any punishment.

"It's nice to see you again Becky. Have you been introduced to Shane?" Dad looked up at his name and slipped up behind Mum, covering her eyes with his hands. I caught his glance and grinned.

"Guess who?" I asked in a high girly voice.

"Really Shane? You have to involve Katie in this?"

"No fair!" I groaned. "Come on Becks, we'll take your stuff out to the car."

It was cold outside. Becky found it the coldest, shivering in her shorts despite the advice I had given her the night before.

"Wear jeans, no matter how warm it is when you leave you'll need jeans for the first few days here." I must have told her five times but she had still turned up in her shortest shorts.

"It was boiling at home!" She protested when I teased her for the goose bumps on her legs. "And besides, I'll get used to this weather sooner." II simply rolled my eyes as we handed her suitcase to the chauffer.

"Let's just wait in the car. It'll save us form the rush when all of the guests arrive. Most of them are coming on the plane after yours because they didn't want to miss half an hour of work just to come to a party." I paused as we ducked into the car. "So how did you convince your Mum to let you come alone?"

"Easily! I just pouted and made a point of stressing that I would be with you and your Mum and she gave in within two days! It took longer than that to convince her to let me stay at yours for the weekend!" I closed the door to block out the wind and Becky pulled out her phone. "I promised her I would call her when I got here and then turn my phone off because it costs a fortune for international calls." I waited patiently as she called her Mum and the two had a quick conversation. I could just imagine Mrs Taylor doing the housework as they spoke, washing the dishes with the phone between her ear and shoulder or driving home from work with her earpiece in.

Becky and her Mum were almost like twins, they were practically identical. They shared the wild red curls that were naturally cherry coloured, unlike many of the girls at our school who forked out small fortunes on dye each year to achieve the colour. The two had the same piercing eyes, Becky's in a deep brown and her mothers in a pale blue, and the same perfectly proportioned face. Becky was one of the prettiest girls I knew but she didn't care.

When the phone call was finished, Becky hung up and threw her phone towards me. My reflexes kicked in and I caught it with the ends of my fingers.

"What?"

"Read the texts."

Curious, I did so. Becky usually received few texts of interest but now her phone was full to bursting point with texts about me. People we had never spoken to were asking how I was, when I had told Becky about Shane, how she had kept my secret for me for so long. There were queries about rumours, people asking if I had really been kidnapped and offers from girls who had spent their lives snubbing us to sit with them at lunch. I had never seen my name in so many texts in my life.

"I feel so popular!" I announced.

Becky rolled her eyes. "That's just the ones that haven't automatically deleted yet. Suddenly, everybody wants to be your best friend. I thought it was me at first but it was you. I bet you're glad you never gave anybody your number, aren't you?"

"I didn't even think about it to be honest… I have a new phone anyway." Becky gave a sudden squeal and bounced up and down eagerly in her seat.

"What?" I panicked, turning around and convinced I was going to come face to face with a murderer or, worse yet, Gary. "What is it?"

"Nothing…" I waited patiently, knowing that she would come out with it eventually. "Well okay… it's something. It's the fact that I just met Connect 3! All of them! They know my name! They're related to the girl that is practically my sister! It's just too much!" She squealed again, closing her eyes and grinned wider than ever before. "It's just _amazing_! I cannot _wait _to tell Kelly about this!" Kelly was Becky's eighteen year old sister. She was the smartest girl I had ever met and she had been the girl who got me into Connect 3 when I was younger.

"What's the betting that next time you come to mine after school she comes to pick you up just so that she can meet Dad?"

"Da-? Oh, probably quite high… like definite." Becky frowned. "Katie how are you not over excited? Your Dad is Shane Grey and your uncles are his band mates, you're hosting a celebrity party and you get to go abroad for it, why are you so calm?"

"Honestly?" Becky nodded. "Well honestly, I don't know. I think that the fact Shane is my Dad wore off pretty fast because I was staying in Jason's house and the rest of it just seems to fit in with the territory. The party bit's an entirely different mater; you know I'm not a party girl so I'm not particularly bothered by it."

Becky just shook her head and then turned to look around the limo. The transport was something I hadn't got used to yet; the fact that this was the first time I had been in a limo willingly didn't help. The seats were plush leather, the type of chair that you could sink into and relax on for hours on end. The carpet was a soft purple and I could see Becky's toes poking out the end of her inappropriate flip flops to play with the deep fluff. There was a TV at one end of the car, a mini bar at the other and chairs lining the edges in between.

The sound of a lot of laughter suddenly reached our ears and we peered out of the tinted window behind Becky to see a huge group of adults heading towards us. They split in opposite directions, still creating a large amount of noise, and then the doors at either end opened.

First in were the pregnant Chloe and Jason, followed by Nate and Caitlyn. My grandparents, Steve and Connie Torres, came next, talking to a pair of unfamiliar adults and a younger man who I didn't recognise. Lastly came my own parents, holding hands firmly. They all sat down around us and I could feel the unfamiliar couple stealing glances at me every few seconds. Nobody spoke to Becky or I until the engine had started.

"Katie, I'd like you to meet your grandparents." Dad gestured to the couple and I felt my jaw drop as I automatically examined them more closely. The woman was short and plump, not fat but slightly rounded, with grey streaked hair and twinkling grey eyes. The man had a perpetual smile and the corners of his eyes were creased, giving him a permanently kind appearance.

"It's nice to finally meet our granddaughter," The woman said with a smile. "I'm Wendy, your grandmother." I instinctively hugged her at her explanation and I could feel her hugging me back. "This is Andrew, my husband."

I found myself hugging him too, the granddad who had always been absent from my life was finally here. Both of them smiled kindly at me as I sat down next to Becky with tears in my eyes. Mum shared a look with the last man and then turned to me.

"This is your _Great _Uncle Brown," She introduced me. "Although if you call him that then he would probably have to do something uncool, so don't." Everybody apart from Becky and I laughed at this, obviously an inside joke.

"Just call me Brown, love. Everybody else does." He grinned an almost cheeky smile towards me and I found my own lips twitching upwards.

"It's nice to meet you B-" I caught the look that everybody was sending me, Becky included, and changed my mind at the last second. "It's nice to meet you Great Uncle Brown." Brown chuckled.

"You've known Shane all of ten days and he's _already _corrupted you!" We all laughed and I felt Caitlyn watching me.

"What?" I asked her softly.

"Just… thinking, that's all…" Everyone was watching her now, all interested. Caitlyn was rarely so secretive about her thoughts, she was usually prepared to share them with everyone.

"What's wrong love?" I heard Nate whisper into her ear.

"Nothing's wrong! I was just wondering how Kate's grown up to fit in so well with us all when she's never really met any of us before."

I felt myself blush with happiness and leant back into the seat, grinning at Becky. She didn't seem to feel too out of place in a car with celebrities and my family but then again, she never felt out of place. She was Becky, nothing was uncomfortable for her.

"So Mr Grey, since you haven't known Katie for all that long, I guess you haven't heard any embarrassing stories about her, have you?"

"First off, call me Shane and secondly, no I haven't but feel free to tell me some."

Ignoring my protests, Becky, Mum, Caitlyn and Connie launched into a series of the most embarrassing events of my life. I sunk as far as I could into the chair and buried my head in my hands as I listened to the events that I thought had been long forgotten brought back up for the world to hear.

The journey in the car took almost an hour. The airport was not only outside of the city but on the opposite side to the hotel that we had apparently hired for the entire weekend. The party would be starting in less than twenty four hours and the guests had only just arrived. Some of them, Becky included, would be getting up at ten and spending the entire morning working on their hair and makeup just to make sure they looked good for a private party. Personally, I would wait until half an hour before we left to pull on a dress, brush my hair and leave.

For once, I was being allowed some independence. I was being dropped off at the hotel with Becky and the rest of the guests and my parents had agreed to leave me doing whatever I wanted until the party tomorrow, a chance to spend time with my friend and get to know my family better. The fact I had an entire family that I had never met was a scary prospect.

"Oh My God." Becky's whisper dragged me out of my thoughts. I glanced at her to find her eyes glued onto something outside of the window. "_That's _the hotel?"

We all nodded at her, nobody else particularly bothered by it, but Becky wasn't accustomed to the perks of a celebrity family and the sight of a hotel made almost entirely of glass seemed to shock her. We would have it to ourselves, every guest able to choose a room of their own and every facility free for our use. I had taken my stuff over earlier in the day and had a bag full of every type of outfit I could think of; shorts, skirts, jeans, a swimming costume, a bikini, tracksuit bottoms, trainers, pumps, flip flops. You name it; I had it squeezed into my bag somewhere.

As soon as the engine stopped, Becky and I were out of the door, prepared to sprint across the short gap between us and the main entrance, when a bright flash of light caught our eye. I swore under my breath; we had been trying to keep the party on low profile and the press coverage to an absolute minimum.

"Katie! Over here!

"Who's your friend?"

"Over here!"

"Why have your parents flown out so may people Katie?"

"What's going on at the hotel?"

"Are you Katie's sister?"

"Smile for us girls!"

"Katie, rumours are saying that Mitchie moved on and this girl is your sister. Is it true?" I gave an exasperated sigh and grabbed Becky's hand, dragged my shell shocked friend passed the flashes and into the building. We ducked behind the nearest pillar and sunk slowly to the floor.

"How… do you… put up… with _that_?" Becky managed to whisper.

"I don't know… I don't have any choice so I've been learning as I go along. Basically, don't answer any of their questions unless you absolutely _have _to."

"When would you _have _to answer any of their questions?" I risked a glance around the side of the wide pillar to see that the crowd had grown and were surrounding my family as they pushed their way through.

"I don't know, it's just what I've been told."

Becky and I both lapsed into silence, regaining our breath and calming down as we leant against the cool marble pillar.

"Excuse me?" I glanced up at the source of the voice and could just make out the glint of the flashing cameras on a head of blonde hair. "Listen, I don't know how you got in here but this hotel is privately booked al weekend so I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The voice seemed oddly familiar and I clambered slowly to my feet, twitching a few inches to the left until I could see the face of the girl.

"Anna!"

"Katie?"

"Yeah! We were just hiding from the paparazzi."

"Oh, sorry! I've been warding off desperate fans all day; I assumed you were more of them."

I took the chance to observe Anna properly for the first time. Now that she had been given the chance to be a normal teenager again she had really blossomed out. Her hair had obviously been washed several times and was now golden brown, hanging down her back in soft waves. Many of the bruises and cuts she had sported when I had last seen her in person a week ago had faded or been covered expertly with various forms of makeup. Wearing a long sleeve baby blue top and a pair of skinny jeans, Anna looked like any normal teenager.

The police had managed to track down her mother, she had been living in a dilapidated flat just outside of the city for the past several years, too frightened of Gary to attempt to save or get in contact with Anna and Will. Now that her husband had been arrested, however, she was back to take care of her children. I had spoken to Anna three days ago and she had been revelling in the glory that was her house. Thanks to funding from both the council and my Dad she had come back from a day with her mother to find her house repaired, redecorated and finally looking like a house again.

Anna was finally being given the chance to live her life again and she was definitely making the most of it. We had invited her to the party tonight, her mother and brother as well, but Anna was coming alone.

"So you're Anna?" I heard Becky asking.

"Yup. You must be the Becky that Katie's told me so much about. She was really excited about seeing you again."

"I understand I have you to thank for saving Katie from that evil dude." Becky gasped as she realised what she had just said. "I mean, no offence! I know he was your Dad and everything but he was kind of evil! He kidnapped Katie for no good reason. God; that probably really offended you! I'm so sorry! I tend to say what I think before thinking about whether or not it's the right thing to say, or Katie always tells me I do. Am I rambling now? I am, aren't I?"

"Yes!" Anna and I both yelled, just as the doors swung open and the eleven adults stumbled inside.

"…forgotten what party paps were like." Mum was saying. She caught sight of us still hidden just behind the pillar and waved. "Hey Anna. Come on in girls, you can't just stand there and hide all evening."

As we followed along in the wake of the adults, I felt Becky squeeze my forearm.

"Katie!" She squealed under her breath. "Tomorrow, I'm going to a celebrity party. With actual celebrities and not just any, but _Connect 3 _and I get to go to a party with them." She squealed again and I giggled at her enthusiasm. "How have you got over the fact that he's your Dad so fast?"

"I don't know," I replied with an easy grin. "I really don't know."

**I know, it's mostly filler, but it is a chapter. Next chapter will be the actual party. I was planning in putting it in this chapter but I'm exhausted and I really wanted to post **_**something **_**for you. It feels like it's been absolutely ages since I posted for this story. I'm sorry! **

**I think it's almost over now. I think that about 5-6 more chapters and it will be over… =[ thank you to everyone who has stuck by me the whole way through!**

**Review and I'll send you an imaginary banana split!**

**~Spwarkle **

**PS: Charlotte, keep quiet this time! Please?**


	17. Party

**Um... almost four months on, I'm not exactly sure what to say. I guess I'll have to settle with I am incredibly sorry... I don't even trust myself to say it won't happen again, because it probably will at some point. I totally don't blame any of you if you've lost interest in this story and/or have to go back and reread the whole thing to remind yourself what happened... :S**

**Katie's POV**

"Katie!"

I turned at the sound of my name. Anna was running down the corridor after me. Despite the fact we had another two hours, she was already dressed and ready for the party, wearing a silky dark grey dress and holding her hair in it's elegant position as she hurried along.

"You look really nice," I told her truthfully as she caught up with me and slowed to a walk. I smirked. "Special occasion?"

"Not much. A Connect 3 party, finally making some progress in life, the usual."

"You are just hilarious!" I teased.

"Says the girl who started it." She frowned down at my jeans. "Becky was right."

"What was Becky right about?" I asked cautiously.

"Well she said that you wouldn't be getting ready yet and that you would just pull on any old outfit, so while you were with your family this morning, we went into town and got you this beautiful dress and some tips on how to do your makeup."

I groaned as she grabbed my wrist. "I'm beginning to think that introducing you to Becks was a really bad idea."

"Nah, it wasn't. We're going to make you the belle of the ball, the centre of attention at the party."

"I don't want attention, I want to have a good time. I don't want the entire guest list to note down every stumble and flaw in my appearance."

"Well as long as it's the guest _list _and not the guests themselves," Anna grinned at me. "You should be fine."

She pulled on my wrist and I sighed, allowing her to pull me into her hotel room. She sat me down on an uncomfortable plastic chair in front of a mirror and a desk covered in various makeup and hair care items. I groaned again.

"Please don't make me do this." I begged her. "I don't want to dress up. I will wear whatever dress you've picked out, just let me do my own hair and makeup. Please, I am begging you."

Anna ignored me as she answered a knock at the door and allowed Becky into the room. Becky was carrying a dress in her arms, a piece of purple fabric and what seemed to be-

"Ruffles! No way!" I shook my head. "I am not, I repeat, _not _wearing ruffles. Never."

"Tough luck," Becky opened the wardrobe and reached inside, hanging the dress up before I could get a good look, "Anna and I are in charge of you for this party. I know that you _could _do your own hair and makeup, but eyeliner and mascara simply aren't enough for a party like this."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll feel unimportant. This is almost your party, you want some attention even if not all of it and surrounded by people who probably import their stylists from France, you want to feel good about yourself."

"I mean this in whatever way will cause the least offence: How would you know? Stylists do clothes, not makeup, which I'm guessing most of this is about looking at this collection. And anyway, you can't import stylists, it's just a career."

"Whatever." Becky poked her tongue at me in the mirror and I smiled, but her professional expression soon returned. "Now turn around so that your body is facing away from the mirror. You're not seeing yourself until Anna and I are finished with you."

I sighed. Knowing Becky, nothing short of a natural disaster would get me out of this. If there were giant meteors dropping from the sky or aliens invading the planet, she would probably still insist on giving me this makeover. She had always enjoyed making me look – as she put it – like a perfect girl. Becky maintained the belief that I was beautiful. Although I knew I wasn't ugly, Becky's definition was definitely something I had yet to see.

It took my two friends the better part of an hour to make me look – as they put it – perfect. For the entire time I was forced to sit as still and silent as a statue as they dusted powders, sparkles and various forms of beauty product across my face. Becky even painted my nails, complaining that she would never be able to grow hers so long, while Anna used some sort of heated tool – I never caught sight of it – on my hair.

My the end of the time, I was thoroughly bored. My foot was tapping impatiently on the floor and my arms were crossed across my chest. I let out a laboured sigh as Becky held a black tube in front of my face.

"I'm not doing your mascara, you always blink. Do it yourself and _then _you can thank us."

"Thanks." I muttered sarcastically, turning around to face the mirror, expecting to be faced with a glittering version of myself.

But what I saw was so much better.

Somewhere along the way, the two girls had managed to turn me from Katie Torres, fifteen year old nobody, into Katie Grey, daughter an international singer. I was literally glowing. My entire face was caked in makeup, yet I had never looked more natural in my life. My eyelids were sparkling a grey, a colour I would have never chosen personally, but it worked. I looked mysterious, mature and just like the girl I had always dreamed I would be. My hair was hanging completely straight down my back and I was surprised to see how long it was without the curls that had always haunted me.

"Wow..." I whispered. As my head shook, I noticed that my hair had some sort of glitter in it, an inconspicuous detail to add to the pile.

"You need mascara," said Anna. Obeying her order, I leant forwards and rolled the brush along my eyelashes, careful not to smudge the black substance across my face. When I looked at myself in the mirror again, my jaw dropped.

"I never knew II could look half this good." I said honestly. Becky grinned at me.

"You haven't even seen the dress yet."

I didn't protest as she handed me the short piece of purple material. I didn't mind dresses; it was the ruffles along the bottom and around the sleeves that put me off. I kept silent anyway and slipped into the bathroom to change. I was obscenely thankful that I had worn a button up shirt and not the polo shirt I had considered; I could change without dislodging the makeup.

Before I left the bathroom, I looked at myself in the full length mirror. The dress, just like Becky and Anna had probably guessed, fitted perfectly. It was a deep purple cotton frock that wrapped over my shoulders, around my chest and then hung from my waist to cover the essentials and finish mid-thigh. It reminded me of the sort of dress that Becky's closet back home was full of, typical Becky outfits, but I liked it.

Both of the girls squealed as I stepped into the hotel room, catching sight of me in the mirror as they patched up their own hair and makeup.

"We were right!" Becky clapped her hands. "We thought it would suit you but we didn't know. It was either that or this really pretty light blue sparkly one, but we knew what we wanted to do with your makeup and it went better with that one, so we took a gamble. I'm glad we did though, it works great! You should wear dresses more often; it would make the girls at school so jealous! Not that you really need to, you've already got Shane Grey as a Dad. I still can't believe that! You didn't know anything about your Dad for fifteen years and then, all of a sudden, you find out he's super-mega-rich. I might talk to him, he could buy you these sort of dresses all the time! You could have proper designer ones and everything, maybe even-."

"What she means," Anna cut in. "Is that you look really, really nice Katie."

"Thanks," I smiled at the blonde. "For everything. Saving me that night, staying around Becky company, helping her shop, shutting her up." Becky gave me an innocent expression. "Yes, Becky, you."

"You are so mean to me!" Becky placed her hand on her heart. "And to think I class you as my best friend!"

"That's because I am, you dummy!"

"That's what you think..." She smirked. "Anyway, Anna has some shoes for you."

"Oh yes, I do!" Anna darted across to the wardrobe again and opened a draw, pulling out a pair of, thankfully, flat black pumps and hurrying back to give them to me. "It was either these or black converse, and we didn't know if you have your converse with you, so we grabbed these for you."

"If I told you I have my own pair of these...?"

"I would say, well done, you now have two." Becky said. "Hurry up, I want to get down there now! I don't care if it doesn't technically start for another hour, I bet you there'll be loads of people there!"

"I doubt it."

"Why not? It's kind of cold outside, you get food at the party and all of the guests are already in the hotel. Can't you hear the music? They probably started early."

Now that I was listening, I could indeed hear the steady beat of a bass from the ground floor, sending vibrations through the building. I crouched down to pull on my new shoes, sliding my feet in and wondering idly how Becky had known my shoe size. I shook it off as Anna produced a camera and snapped several photos of me. Rolling my eyes, I followed Becky out of the room.

Just like my best friend had predicted, the party had indeed started early downstairs. We could hear the chatting crowds before we were even in the tiled hallway leading to the ball room. The closer we walked, the louder the music and noise got, until we reached the door and the sound literally shook me where I stood.

I winced as I stepped inside, catching sight of Millie and Caitlyn standing in the far corner. Millie was holding a paper cup as she bounced on the spot. I waved at her and hurried to join the two of them.

"Started the party without me?" I shouted over the music, gaining Caitlyn's attention. She turned around and her jaw dropped.

"Kate... wow! You look amazing!"

"Thanks. It was all Anna and Becks, trust me."

"And your natural beauty, but I know you'll never admit that. You should go and see your Dad and get his opinion."

I grinned. Having known Shane for only a week or so meant I didn't know him all that well. Would he overreact to my appearance, become an overprotective parent? Would he even notice at all? Maybe he would ignore it.

"Yeah, probably." Nate's voice cut into my thoughts.

"Huh?"

"He'll probably ignore it."

"Did I say that out loud?"

Nate nodded, smirking and handing Caitlyn a beer as he slid his hand around her waist. "He'll be completely shocked on the inside but he'll act cool and calm on the outside because he doesn't want to fight with you or fall out with you."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm his brother and because I would do the same if it was me and Millie in his position."

Millie tore her eyes away from the dance floor at her name. "You look really nice, Katie."

"Thanks Mill. Do you want to come and dance?"

I held out my hand and she grinned eagerly, handing Nate her drink and taking my hand, skipping onto the polished wood and beginning to dance. Her dress, a knee length pink item that I was pretty sure Nate had picked out, fluttered in and out, all the while maintaining a neat circle.

I happily danced with my younger cousin for a good fifteen minutes, spinning her around by one hand and laughing as her dress flew higher and higher, joining her in childish dance moves and ignoring the stares from some of the other guests. I only stopped dancing when I saw my parents standing by the bar, watching me carefully.

"Millie, can you go back to your Mum and Dad? I want to go and talk to Uncle Shane."

"Okay," Millie smiled as she spun around one final time. "I'll see you later!"

She was gone, slipping into the crowds and disappearing from sigh within seconds. If we hadn't been in a secure building, I would have worried about her safety in amongst so many strangers, but I barely gave it a second thought, turning in the opposite direction to go and join my Mum and Dad.

"Katie!" My Dad held out his arm when he saw me and gave me a sideways hug. "Nice dress. Is it new?"

"Yeah, it is." I felt eyes on me and focused my own gaze on Nate, my smirking uncle who was standing across the room, telling me with just his expression that he knew fully well that his prediction had been right. His eyes flickered to Mum and I turned to her with a smile.

"It's perfect," she told me. "Becky said she's have every eye on you and she was right."

I chose not to comment on the fact that my Mum and friends were evidently scheming behind my back, instead turning to see just how many eyes _were _focused on me. A surprising amount of people were looking my way, but then they could easily have been watching Mum or Dad, maybe just taking in the happy family. Maybe they were watching me, but I would never know for sure.

A part of me hoped they weren't watching me. Just because I was the centre of attention in the show business media at the moment didn't mean I was comfortable with people looking at me. I didn't like knowing that there was somebody around to see all of my flaws and pick holes at them until they became wide, gaping holes. It wasn't something I liked or wanted.

"So why exactly did the party start an hour early?" I asked.

Mum rolled her eyes. "The DJ and his crew were just testing their equipment, but when they heard the music, several of the guests thought they were missing a huge party. They came running down here, started dancing, and it all snowballed from there. Not that it really makes much difference to any plans, we're just letting people roam free, but it was awkward not to be here when our own party invited. We were kind of... busy."

I caught the look my parents shared and blushed bright red. "I don't want to know! Can you please keep that to yourselves in future? Please? I am begging you!"

"Whatever do you mean, Katie?" Dad teased. "We never said anything."

"You didn't need to. The looks on your faces were more than enough detail. I'm fine with you two being in love and stuff, but I don't want to know about everything that goes on between you when I'm not around."

"It's okay, Katie, we'll be careful not to say anything in-." Mum broke off, he amused smile fading.

"Shane, honey, did you invite her?"

"Who?" Dad and I asked at the same time, both turning in the direction that Mum was looking. Dad's eyes narrowed and I frowned. The only unmoving person by the door, where they were both looking, was a tall, blonde woman, standing in a skimpy red dress in the doorway and smiling flirtatiously at some of the younger men nearby. She was oddly familiar. "What is she doing here?"

I saw his hands ball in to fists and his eyes narrow as he tried to walk forwards. Mum grabbed his arm to hold him back.

"Shane, I'm sure she has a perfectly good excuse for being here."

"Why don't we ask Chloe?" Dad suggested, watching as his sister-in-law appeared behind the blonde woman and spoke to her quickly and quietly, an appalled expression on her face.

"Who is she?" I asked. My question was directed more to Mum than Dad as I had a feeling she would be more likely to respond.

"Tess." My parents growled in unison. I raised an eyebrow.

"Tess _Tyler_?"

"That's the one."

"The very same."

"What's _she _doing here?"

"That's what we'd like to know."

Even as they spoke, Chloe finished her conversation and waved at Caitlyn and Nate, nodding them over to us. As she waddled her way over, Jason appeared at her side. It was when Tess turned to took at their retreating backs that I managed to get a good look at the woman who had ruined my parents' marriage. She was definitely the very same woman who had been in town that morning, the one who had not only destroyed but helped to patch up my life.

I narrowed my eyes in her direction, taking a cue from Dad and fisting my hands. But unlike Dad, I wasn't grabbed as I moved forwards. Nobody was close enough to stop me as I crossed the room. Chloe, Jason, Nate, Caitlyn and my parents were standing back at the bar; Becky and Anna were socialising and dancing.

Nobody was close enough to stop me as I crossed the room, tapped Tess Tyler on the shoulder and then slapped her across the cheek.

The resulting crack and scream, however, was enough to turn the entire room towards me.

**Nyeh. End of this chapter. I'm really loosing enthusiasm for this story, in case you hadn't noticed. I will finish it though, I promise! I'll update again... eventually.**

**I have a hairspray obsession at the moment! (the film, not the actual thing) I have my headphones on right now, playing Welcome to the 60's. Not my favourite song, but the film makes me smile, so I'm listening to it. Still. Again. And again. If my parents could hear, they would probably have died of boredom from the repetition... heheh.**

**Lemme know what you thought, about the film or the chapter, either way, I don't really mind.**

****Spwarkle****


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